A Blessed Mother

What do mothers want for Mother’s Day? If you mothers could choose a gift, what would it be? Something just for you. A diamond? A car? A new home? What? What would you think would be a great gift?

Well, I can only guess what you are thinking right now.

Mothers are teachers. Mothers are disciplinarians. Mothers are cleaning ladies. Some mothers are gardeners and mowers of lawns. And most mothers understand that baking cookies is more important than washing windows, too.

Mothers are nurses and doctors and psychologists and counselors and chauffeurs and coaches. Mothers are developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies, and shapers of attitudes. Mothers are soft voices saying, "I love you." And mothers are a link to God, a child’s first impression of God’s love.

Mothers are all of these things and much, much more.

Proverbs gives a description of a great gift that all women should desire.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
~~Proverbs 31: 28 (KJV)

Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise.
~~Proverbs 31:28 (The Message)
I would think that praise and blessing would be greater than another gifts. (That’s not to say that you should not buy your mother a gift to show her how much you love her if possible.)

Attorney Michael Minton did a study on the monetary value of a wife’s services in the home. First he listed the various functions she performs:
  • Chauffeur
  • Gardener
  • Family counselor
  • Maintenance worker
  • Cleaning woman
  • Housekeeper
  • Cook
  • Errand runner
  • Bookkeeper
  • Interior decorator
  • Caterer
  • Dietician
  • Secretary
  • Hostess
Using this impressive list of a housewife’s work in today’s labor market, he came up with $985 per week. That’s $51,220 per year!

Now most women are required to work today because most households just can’t make end meet on one salary. I heard on the news the other night that a stay-at-home mother works about 95 hours a week. I got to thinking that you working mothers put in at least 40 hours a week on the job and then you have to come home to your other job! I have one question: When do you have time to sleep?

In Proverbs 31 King Lemuel talks about the Godly prophecy (wisdom) that his mother taught him.
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. ~~Proverbs 31:10
She is a virtuous woman. The Hebrew word for virtuous indicates a force, an army, strong.
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: ~~Proverbs 12:4
A crown is something that a man would want to show off. That means that he isn’t ashamed of her. Because the Bible says that the wife is a crown to the husband, he should love her.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
~~Ephesians 5:22-33
Now if the wife is the husband's crown, isn’t this way he should love her? In order for a woman to become a good mother I think she would need a good relationship with her husband.

What are the traits of a virtuous woman?
  • A virtuous woman is trustworthy. Some things should not be spoken outside the home, by either husband or wife.
    The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. Proverbs 31:11
    • He trusts her chastity (purity).
    • He trusts her conduct.
    • He trusts her in confidence.
  • A virtuous woman is not lazy.
    She works willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31:13
    Let me say, neither is a good man when it comes to the home. If it takes two to make the living then it is only fair that it would take two to keep the home. Paul said that a man should love His wife as much as he loves himself.
  • A virtuous woman is wise.
    She openeth her mouth with wisdom. Proverbs 31:26
  • A virtuous woman fears the Lord.
    Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30
One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one."

The Lord turned and said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee and leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands."

"Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that’s impossible."

"It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It’s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?’ she already knows what they’re doing in there."

"She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed and communicate love and understanding without saying a word."

"That’s too much." said the angel, "You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while and resume your creating tomorrow?"

"No, I can’t," said the Lord. "I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - and who can persuade a nine-year-old to take a shower."

Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely and said, "She’s too soft."

"Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do."

"Can she think?" asked the angel.

"Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason and compromise and persuade."

Then the angel reached over and touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model."

"That’s not a leak," said the Lord. "That’s a tear."

"What’s a tear for?" asked the angel.

"Well, it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride."

"You’re a genius," said the angel.

And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn’t put it there."
  • My mother taught me LOGIC: "If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me," as well as, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you do it too?"
  • My mother taught me MEDICINE: "If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way."
  • My mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD: "If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!"
  • My mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE: "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you... Don’t talk back to me!"
  • My mother taught me HUMOR: "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me."
  • My mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT: "If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.
  • My mother taught me about GENETICS: "You are just like your father!"
  • My mother taught me about my ROOTS: "Do you think you were born in a barn?"
  • My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE: "When you get to be my age, you will understand," or, "I will explain it all when you get older."
  • My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION: "Just wait until your father gets home."
  • My mother taught me about RECEIVING: "You are going to get it when I get you home."
  • And the all-time favorite thing my mother taught me, JUSTICE: "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like! I can’t wait!"
Happy Mothers Day!

Comments

Anonymous said…
HEY BUBBA! WHAT ABOUT WHEN WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING AND MAMA SAID "GO ASK YOU DADDY" -- AND DADDY SAID "GO ASK YOUR MOTHER!" WE WENT BACK AND FORTH UNTIL MAMA SAID - "IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOUR DADDY - IT'S OKAY WITH ME." THEN WE WOULD TELL DADDY THAT MAMA SAID IT'S WAS OKAY! IS OMMITTING PART OF THE TRUTH A SIN?
BOY, IF IT IS - WE BETTER GET TO 'FESSIN UP! LOVE YOU, BIG SIS
nfhays said…
Wow! Daddy this one is wonderful! You truly are a gifted writer and I am so proud to call you my Daddy! Thank you for sharing your heart with us...
Aliene said…
Guess I'm like nfhayes, Wow! That is some searching truths. And you are gifted even though that dumb teacher said you would never amount to anything. And I am proud to call you my brother. Even though I did take a whippin' for you several times. Love you!
Big Sis