Mothers!

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at days to come. Proverbs 31:25

Yesterday around our country we stopped to honor Mothers. The image of mothers has changed a lot from the time of Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It To Beaver. These were the years of stay at home moms and the mentality that the husband earned a living and the wife raised their children. I love the story of a stay at home mom who was asked, “And tell me, what is it that you do, dear?” The mom responded, “I am socializing two homosapiens into the dominant values of the Judo-Christian tradition, in order that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia that God willed from the beginning of creation.” Then she asked, “And what do you do?”

These days moms are working full time jobs, running big corporations, and still managing to raise and nurture a family. We honor mothers because they have a hard job, and they deserve a day for us to show our love and appreciation.

There are many things that mothers teach their children. These are on the humorous side. My mother taught me religion; “When I spilled grape juice on the carpet she said, you better pray that stain comes out.” My mother taught me logic; “Because I said so, that’s why.” My mother taught me foresight; “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident.” My mother taught me irony; “You keep laughing at me, and I’ll give you something to cry about.” My mother taught me stamina; “You will sit here until you finish that spinach.” My mother taught me weather; “It looks like a tornado swept through your room” My mother taught me the circle of life; “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” copied

Seriously, when I think of the Mothers who are in my life now and those who were a huge part of my life in the past, I think of three things; faith, courage, and love. These are challenging times in which to be a mother! Kids these days are faced with confusion as the lines between right and wrong are blurred in our society. There is also a culture that is so competitive that it values performance above character. It can be dangerous to grow up in this world of today.

It was also be dangerous to grow up in Biblical times. I am reminded of Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who is only mentioned a few times in the Scriptures, yet she is the portrait of a woman of faith, courage and love. The nation of Israel at this time was growing and prospering so much that the Pharaoh felt threatened. He commanded the Hebrew midwives to murder male babies of Hebrew women as they were giving birth. When he realized he couldn’t trust the midwives, he reached out to his people to be on the lookout for Hebrew babies. If they saw one, they were to drown them in the Nile River.

It was during this reign of terror that Jochebed became pregnant. She didn’t have to worry about her older children Miriam and Aaron, but the baby was fair game for any Egyptian. First, she showed courage. Jochebed and her family disobeyed the orders from the Pharaoh and hid Moses for three months. Mothers show courage in protecting their children.

Next, Jochebed showed a sensible faith. After hiding Moses for three months, she saw the reality of the situation and knew she couldn’t continue to hide him. She made a little basket of pitch and tar to keep it afloat and put it in the reeds along the Nile River. Jochebed didn’t send him floating down the Nile but rather placed in a spot along the river where women tended to congregate. She had faith that he would be found and nurtured. She left Miriam to spy and she was there to inform Bitiah (the daughter of Pharaoh who found him) that she could provide a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby boy.

Finally, Jochebed exhibited a mother’s love. She had such love for her child that she would give him up in order to save his life. God had a different plan and provided a way for Jochebed to be the wet nurse for Moses and be a part of his life. She was there to teach him about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses grew up to lead two million of his people through a desert and into freedom.

Just like Jochebed, there are things that Mothers can do for their children, but ultimately we have to be willing to leave them in God’s hands. A mother’s love never changes, and God will use our courage, our faith, and our love to accomplish his purpose in our children’s lives. It’s not all up to us, God is partnering with us!

The legacy we leave will be a reflection of the life we live now!