Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. —Proverbs 31:28On Mother’s Day 2007, Carol and I wish to thank God for the godly influence of our mother’s upon our lives. It has been said that no other forced in the life of a child is as strong as influence as is his mother. Down through the centuries, the mother has been a stabilizing factor in the shaping of history. “The future destiny of the child,” said Napoleon “is always the work of a mother.”
Theodore Roosevelt put it this way: “The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, businessman, artist or scientist.”
Those of you whose mothers have died will appreciate this poem entitled “A White Carnation” – To a mothers love I witness bear, by this fragrant flower I proudly wear. Tis snowy white to some who see, but it’s a brilliant red to me. Although her lips I cannot kiss, I feel her presence. Though I miss her loving touch, her tender care, she’s always with me everywhere.”
Here are excerpts fro
m the May 13, 2007, Our Daily Bread devotional: Many people have been richly blessed by what they learned at their mother’s knee. Consider John and Charles Wesley. Their names would probably never have lighted the pages of history if it hadn’t been for their godly mother who taught them that the law of love and Christian witness was to be their daily guide.
Susannah Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters with him or her. No wonder John and Charles were used of God to bring blessing around the world.
Here are a few rules she followed in training her children: Subdue self-will in a child and work together with God. Teach him to pray as soon as he can speak. Give him nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely. To prevent lying, punish no fault that is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unchecked. Commend and reward good behavior. Strictly observe all promises you have made to your child.
Let us honor our godly mothers today, not only with words of praise for them but with lives that reflect the impact of their holy influence! —Henry G. Bosch
Of all the earthly things God gives,
There’s one above all others:
It is the precious, priceless gift
Of loving Christian mothers. —Anon.
The late great Erma Bombeck wrote the classic piece on mothers, and this ought to be required reading every Mother's Day.
"When the good Lord was creating mothers he was into his sixth day of overtime, when an angel appeared and said, 'You're doing a lot of fiddling' around on this one' and the Lord said, 'Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable but not plastic; have 180 movable parts, all replaceable; run on black coffee and left-overs; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair; and six pairs of hands.'
"'Lord,' said the angel, 'come on to bed. You can work on it more tomorrow.' 'I can't,' said the Lord. 'I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have fixed her so that she can heal herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger, and can get a 9-year-old to stand under a shower.' The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly. 'It's too soft,' said the angel. 'But it's tough,' said the Lord excitedly. 'You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.' 'Can it think?' asked the angel. 'Not only think; it can reason and compromise, said the Creator. Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. 'There's a leak,' she pronounced. 'I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.' 'It's not a leak,' said the Lord. 'It's a tear.' 'What's it for?' asked the angel. 'It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.' 'You are a genius,' said the angel. The Lord looked somber and replied, 'but I didn't put it there.'"
Some mothers complain that our society looks down upon stay-at-home moms, as if they are not really employed. I love the story from Tony Campolo who says that when his wife was a full-time mom, she had a great answer ready when she was asked at a party, "And what do you do, dear?" She would reply: "I am socializing two homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition so they might be transformers of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia God willed for us from before the foundation of the earth." Then she would smile and ask, "And what do you do?" The inquirer would usually look flustered and reply rather meekly, "Oh, I just teach sociology."
It has been said that no other forced in the life of a child is as strong as influence as is his mother. Down through the centuries, the mother has been a stabilizing factor in the shaping of history. “The future destiny of the child,” said Napoleon “is always the work of a mother.”
Theodore Roosevelt put it this way: “The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, businessman, artist or scientist.”
God bless my mother; ... all I am I owe to her. -Abraham Linclon
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