I have several vivid memories of my mother when I was a child and I’d like to share three of them with you. But first, you must understand that my dad was on the road leading music in revivals and city-wide crusades every other week when I was a child, leaving my mom to take care of 5 kids by herself. I’m the 4th of the 5.
1. At one point my older brother Scott, my younger brother Cary and I shared a room. We were probably 8, 7 & 5 years old at the time. We had just taken a bath, all of us together, and we were ready for bed. Mom sent us to our room and was going to come up shortly and read to us and put us down. Well, if you have boys, you know how difficult it is to put us down if we have had time to wind each other up before bedtime. Mom, hearing us climbing the walls and jumping on the bed burst into the room and (how can I put this nicely) sternly told us to get under the covers. Clearly she was having a bad day and I’m sure it had nothing to do with 3 rowdy boys. (Right) When we got under the covers she pulled out one of the many children’s Bible story books we had from Arch Books. You may have had them too. Well, I don’t remember the story but I do remember the tone in which it was told. Tough, gruff and out of breath. Then she prayed, turned off the light and closed the door. I’m sure she felt the same sense of relief I feel when I put my kids down some nights.
2. The summer before I went into 6th grade we moved from the big city of Hurst, TX to the less exciting metropolis of Glen Rose. On this particular summer afternoon, the three of us were entertaining ourselves and again causing our mother a great deal of stress. We were fighting each other in the living room, banging into walls, rolling around on the floor and knocking things over when suddenly to our surprise mom burst through the door (mom liked to do that) of the room we were in and yells that she had had enough of our noise and behavior and then she did something I’ll never forget. She used a curse word. That got our attention. You see, my mom didn’t do that and it wasn’t something we had ever heard in our home before. So we stood there stunned. I honestly don’t remember what she said after that but I remember the look on her face and her arm stretched out pointing to the back door. We took the cue and fled to the safety of the great outdoors.
3. The final memory that I will share is the most precious to me. I was a junior in high school and I had to be at marching band practice at 7am one day. The house was still, most of the lights were off and you could tell, even inside the house, that it was fall. I got up, got ready and headed downstairs to leave. It’s still a little dark outside but I could see a light was on in the living room. I went in to tell my mom I was leaving and there she sat in the dark room, with the lamp on, a Bible on her lap praying. Not wanting to interrupt I left the house through a different door. I still don’t know if mom my saw me that morning. But I’ll never forget it.
So that’s my mom. She practically raised 5 kids on her own but even on evenings when we were getting on her last nerve and even though her heart may not have been in it she read Bible stories to us. Stories that I know well now not because I’m a minister but because she read them to us then. I can still hear her reading The Good Samaritan book. It was my favorite. Buy it and read it to your kids, it’ll be their favorite too.
So what about the cursing? What good moral do I have for that? I don’t other than my mom wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t a saint. She was just like me now. Sometimes as a parent I’m at my wits-end and I blow it. You blow it. My kids and yours need to see us stumble and make mistakes but more importantly they need to see how we recover or react to the mistake.
Finally. This one’s easy. Seeing my mom reading and praying early that morning is a special memory to me. I knew, and still know, that my mom loves the Lord and wants to spend time in His word and draw closer to Him on a daily basis. What a legacy to leave with your child and not even know it. I hope my kids will have the same types of memories of me when they move on and have kids of their own. I want to leave them the same legacy of faith. What about you?
Submitted by Brian McKay
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears
the LORD will be praised. Proverbs 31:30
True Beauty
A
Godly wife and mother is a great treasure. She is a gift from The Lord and is
to be treated with great dignity. The description of a virtuous wife and mother
in Proverbs 31 is one of the most beautiful descriptions of women in all of
literature.
The most important aspect of a godly
woman is her character: A wife of noble
character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Proverbs 31:10
Our culture places more importance on
how a woman looks or dresses than what kind of person she is. Yet the Bible
teaches a far different assessment of a wife and mother’s worth. It is the
inner beauty of a godly woman that makes her so valuable.
Character
Her character is displayed most clearly as she
cares for her family. She is diligent and thrifty, providing for the needs of
her husband and children. That's the motivation of her work, whether it is in
the home or on a job outside the home. Her speech reveals her worth. Her
communication with husband and children, and friends is encouraging and
instructive. She realizes the importance of well-chosen words and their
influence on her family.
Brings Success
She
is vital to the success of the family. Her husband should be fully aware of
that. He should take the time to understand her needs and endeavor to meet
them. She is spiritually equal to her husband. As husbands we are to love our
wives in the same way Christ loves His church--unconditionally, sacrificially
and wholeheartedly. So crucial is the relationship between a husband and his
wife that his own prayer to God can be hindered if he treats his wife unfairly
and without respect. Could anything shout her value to God more clearly?
Respected By Her
Children
Her
children are to respect her and appreciate the many sacrifices she makes on
their behalf. Their obedience to her is a demonstration of her importance and
an acknowledgement of her spiritual wisdom.
A
home, a church, a community cannot adequately function under God without the noble
efforts of a godly woman. Give her the
reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates. Proverbs
31:31 Express your love
and appreciation to your wife and your mother with verbal praise and loving
deeds. A godly wife and mother is a treasure that adorns your home and your
life. Show your love and how special she is.
Prayer: "Father, thank you for making each of us
special. Yet you have made our wives and
our mother to be cherished and treasured. Thank you for the wife you've given
me and the mother you've given to our children for she truly displays your
character and is the example of your love. Bless her this day and every day you
give us together".
Submitted by Donnie O’Fallon
