Mothers of 2007
It is said that…
Women who never have children enjoy the equivalent of an extra three months a year in leisure time, or so says Susan Lang the author of Women Without Children. If that figure seems high, remember that the average mother spends 3.5 more hours a week doing housework than would a woman without children, plus 11 hours a week on child-related activities. This adds up to an additional 754 hours of work every year–the equivalent of three months of 12-hour, 5-day work weeks. Signs of the Times, May, 1992, p. 6.Several years ago, I am told, a national newspaper carried a cartoon showing a psychologist talking to his patient: “Let’s see,” he said, “You spend 50 percent of your energy on housework, 50 percent on your husband, and 50 percent on your children. I think I see your problem.” Source Unknown.
Mothers. Aren’t they wonderful? I’d certainly be remiss if I didn’t share this story with you. A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their Mom with a house plant, having purchased it with their own money. The older of the two said, with a sad face, “There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we were thinking that it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.” Source Unknown.
History of how it all started…Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother’s favorite flower) to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother’s Day was observed in a number of large cities in the
By an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. Pulpit Helps, May, 1991.
My text for today is Romans 16: 13…
I must candidly confess that when I was younger the 16th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans didn’t do much for me. It struck me as being boring nothing more than a long presentation of people’s names, most of whom I could not pronounce; I usually skimmed over that part so I could get to what I considered to be the real Gospel.
Over the years I have changed my attitude about this particular chapter, and I have discovered that there is much more to it than I had first imagined. For example, it is interesting to note that of the twenty-six people who Paul singles out for his personal greeting, six were women. That strikes me as being rather interesting, since Paul has frequently gotten a bum rap for being a male chauvinist. I think it also shows us the tremendous influence that women had in the early church. In the male oriented first century
I highlight verse 13 where Paul writes: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a Mother to me, too.” (NIV) This statement raises an interesting speculation. When and where did Paul meet Rufus’ mother? Did she nurse him through some serious illness? Did she receive him into her home for an extended stay during his missionary journeys? How did this woman and Paul form such a close bond that he refers to her fondly as being like his mother? Mark tells us that Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus’ cross, had two sons: Alexander and Rufus. Was this the same Rufus to whom Paul was speaking? If that is true, his mother would be Simon of Cyrene’s wife. But as it stands, no one knows for sure who this remarkable woman was who served as a mother figure to Paul. http://www.sermons.com/
What a mother I would build…
If I could choose my own mother, which everybody knows is impossible, I’d ask for these traits: She would be Native American and full of love. She would have been raised a country girl in a small farming community in
She would be as tough as boot nails from having grown up with no modern conveniences such as electricity and indoor plumbing, and she would be as gentle as a lamb from having been the last baby in a family of seven sisters and two brothers. She would know how to handle a man from having slopped hogs, worked cotton, and wrestled steers.
My choice mom would be a superb cook, queen of her palace, a woman of fashion, and a lady of endless patience—this would come in handy for handling a man who defines patience as the extended periods between breakfast, lunch, super, and mid-night snack.
As a matter of fact, the mom I’d choose would be very similar to my own mother, but lacking somewhat; because when the Lord made my mom, He threw away the mold.
Acknowledgment of Mothers…
This morning, I’d like to begin by recognizing the mothers in our congregation. Mothers, we applaud you.
Message for today…
This morning I want to share my views of what makes a mother great. For one, she’s a woman who would give up her life for her own, especially her children. Secondly, she’s one who defends her own against the world. And thirdly, she is one who models the faith before her family.
Let us begin…
I.
A great mother is one who would give it up for her own. Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of
When the blizzard subsided, her body was discovered beneath a mound of snow. The party that found her discovered that before she died, she had taken off all her outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. When they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise and joy, they found him alive and well. She had placed her body over his and given her life for her child, proving the depths of her mother’s love. Years later that child, David Lloyd George, grown to manhood, became prime minister of
A great mother is one who defends her nest. Dads are good, but moms are fanatical when it comes to defending her own. It’s common knowledge that Dad’s will usually tell his child, especially his son, to “suck-it-up” when bullies intimidate. Not so for the mother. Mom will immediately stop what she is doing and say, “Get your stuff together. You and I are going to talk to that bully.” And, yes, she really will threaten the bully within an inch of his life.
Mothers are like that. Listen to this, “I ask you, who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a young lad his teacher sent him home with a note which said, ‘Your child is dumb. We can’t do anything for him.’ Mrs. Edison wrote back, ‘You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself’. And she did, with results that are well known.” The rest is history. Morning Glory, January 8, 1994.
III.
A great mother is one who models the faith. One of my fondest memories of childhood is my mother singing while traveling in our family car. It was always a subdued melody with a chorus hummed in a soft angelic harmony. But it’s not uncommon for my mother to sing a hymn or two. She even prays—loudly, and shuffles her feet from time-to-time in four/four timing. I don’t think I’ve ever known my mother to waiver in her faith in God. I liken her to General Marshall of WWII. Without the genius of
Momma was the soul and logistics of my father’s ministry. Without her grounding, things would have been very different in the Dashner home and ministry. My mother always cared deeply, even to her own demise. She still has the patience of Job in fielding telephone calls from those who just need to talk to someone. She goes out of her way and never stands in anybody’s way. She encourages, hopes eternal, and makes a mean Red Velvet cake that fetches hundreds of dollars in church auctions. She’s a gem, a polished diamond, a strand of pearls adorning a neck of beauty, and the brilliance of color arrayed in a rainbow of promise. She’s Miss Cherokee, my mother, and an angel disguised in mortal flesh.
This morning I honor every mother attending this service. Your sons and daughters would surely speak the same about your selfless deeds and enduring love. It is indeed a blessing beyond measure to have a mother who forsakes all for her own, who defends her own to the very end, and models Christ in her everyday world in caring for her family. I thank God for great mothers of faith.
Keep the faith, stay the course, because Jesus is coming soon.
Pastor T.