Mothers Day 2009

You can always tell a new mother by her lopsided gait, her ONE shoulder muscle that bulges enough to rival Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is built up from lugging a 40 lb. car seat plus the baby, diaper bag and purse large enough to carry everything but the Kirby. She has evolved into an awe inspiring, multitasking marvel. She can type one handed and change a diaper on a squirming baby while taking a call from the plumber. She also has developed the uncanny ability to sniff the air and tell which waft of diaper doo belongs to her own precious darling. She can find a pacifier in the dead of night with her mommy radar and has learned to sleep sitting up in the rocker with the Wailing One pressed tight against her to ease its gassy belly. All of this while getting less sleep than some soldiers in prisoner of war camps. Yes mothers of tiny babies are amazing creatures. Only God could have built such resilience into a woman. Once you are a mother you can never NOT be mother. You may change your name and NOT be a Jones or Gonzales anymore, you may retire from your profession and NOT be a teacher or a secretary anymore, move from your climate and not be a Yankee or Southerner anymore but you will NEVER not be a mother anymore. It’s a full time job with a life time appointment. Throughout the years of toddlerhood, young childhood, adolescence, teen years, young adulthood, middle age and into the golden years we are cared for, if we are lucky, by the unfailing love of a mother. She teaches us not only by her words and admonitions but also by her gentle hand, her spanking spoon, her time out chair and most powerfully of all her hours of prayer. It can seem a daunting task, this overwhelming responsibility of mothering. And for the Christian mother there is the additional task of bringing them to God. Thankfully we don’t have to do it in our own wisdom or strength. God has laid out for us mothers the ultimate Baby and Child rearing guide in his word. If we will just remember that getting them in to Heaven is more important than getting them into Harvard. And that what we put in them is more important than what we put on them. And that we are not in this alone. The one who loves them even more than we do is watching out for us.. and for them. No matter what problem lies ahead for us… the one who trusts us with these children believes in us. He believes we can do this… and do it well. So take heart dear mother. Your influence is powerful. Use it wisely.