Last weekend was Mother’s Day. That means different things to different people. My father rarely did anything for my mom for Mother’s Day. His rationale was “you’re not MY mother.” Her response was always, “No, but I’m the mother of YOUR children.” My husband isn’t like that. Each year I get a lovely card, typically a corsage to wear to church (and he’ll get a boutonniere to honor his mother), often a special gift and usually he takes us out for lunch. (Not a small thing when there are 10 of us!) If we don’t eat out, he prepares a lovely meal. I get to do what I want and he makes every effort to see that my day is special. He’s taught our sons to honor me and they do their best to do something special for me on that day, too. (One gave me a card Sunday morning. It had a picture of a momma bird in her nest, covered up with a quilt but sitting straight up with wide eyes. Three little baby birds were saying, “Happy Mother’s Day! Today WE get to regurgitate breakfast for YOU!”)
It’s a good thing for us to honor our mothers. I can’t think of anyone who has a greater influence on our early lives than a mother. She plays the major role in shaping our character, our world view and our outlook on life in general. Not that there aren’t others, especially dads, who have an impact on our youth. But in reality, a larger and larger percentage of kids in our culture are growing up in homes where the mom is the only adult, and she carries a heavy burden. Even in two-parent families, Mom is typically the primary caretaker of the children.
(Before anybody throws something at me, let me say that I know lots of dads who are very involved and important in their kids’ day-to-day lives and that’s wonderful. It seems to be one of the positive changes that have taken place in the last couple of generations – the idea of dads having more “hands-on” roles in the lives of their children. I love seeing dads who give baths and do chores and help with homework and do all those little things that not only make life better but also make memories. My hat is off to all the godly fathers out there who take their responsibilities to their families seriously.)
I am very grateful to have been blessed with a wonderful mother. She did all the typical stay-at-home-mom stuff. And she led us to the Lord she came to love. She provided opportunities for us to be involved in school activities and church activities and sports and whatever interests we had. She chaperoned, cooked, chauffeured, led scout troops – the whole nine yards. She spent time talking and teaching and sharing with us. The word “Momma” has a warm, loving feeling for me.
Some of the kids we serve here at CHI had the kind of mom that I had. Some of their moms and dads put everything they had into training and caring for their kids but, somehow, it wasn’t enough. The kids were led astray by influences around them and the parents brought them to us to partner with them when they hadn’t been able to pull them back on their own. Those moms and dads weep and pray for their kids, and rejoice as they work through our program and begin to make needed changes. May God bless, strengthen and encourage those parents.
But, unfortunately, many of the kids we help don’t have any concept of that kind of mom. To them, Mom was someone who abused them. Or neglected them. Or cared more about her own addictions or her current love interest than the children she brought into the world. Some were abandoned. Some wish they had been – it would have been better than the life they lived. Those kids wait for letters, phone calls, visits that never happen. And yet, they still wait. Even when they’ve been disappointed over and over, they still wait.
That’s how important a mother is. God, help us to be mothers who bring our children to know and love you through the way we love them.
