“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” — Proverbs 31:26-28
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Many college athletes dream about becoming professional athletes after school, though less than 2% of them go pro. Most won’t make it all the way to the pinnacle or top rung without several core people supporting them along the way. In fact, even athletes that don’t make it to the pros have their own core support throughout their own athletic career.
As we hear in athlete interviews, often times the first person they thank is their mother and families. Mothers have a special place in our lives (though we recognize not all mothers honor that place and position, and some are not safe places for us to come to). Babies fresh out of the womb can recognize the voice that was heard over and over again through the nine months of pregnancy, and are calmed by the touch and scent of their mother. Mothers — whether biological or adopted — are often a safe place for children to come to, in both the exciting and the hard times.
When God made Adam, He made an intelligent and creative human being who could complete many tasks. But Adam knew something was missing until the Lord made Eve. Suddenly, Adam saw somebody who really was a perfect match for him, and together they would bring many more people into the world to enjoy the abundant things God provided. God made Eve from Adam’s rib in order to emphasize the partnership of men and women and the dignity of both of them. “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'” (Genesis 2:18).
Though the relationship of husband and wife is very important, Eve’s name focused on her role as the one bringing new life into the world. “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). Nurturing mothers grow tiny babies into toddlers, young children, teens and adults. And those who may not physically birth children are brought into lives to mother and nurture through adoption and other close relationships. If we think about it, we’ve learned a lot from our mama, and we are better off when we listen to her wisdom. In fact, the Bible reminds us that we will regret it later if we don’t heed Mama’s instructions: “… do not forsake your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 6:20). Jesus, too, loved and respected His mother throughout His lifetime.
The Lord gave us mothers for many good reasons. They give us our start, and, Lord willing, see us all the way to adulthood. These wonderful people continue to stand beside us even when we disappoint them or don’t appreciate all they do. If we talked all day, we couldn’t list all the ways our mothers helped us along the way.
Mother’s Day (and every day, actually) is a good time to thank her, to rise up and call her blessed. “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:26-28).
Take time to thank a mother — your own, someone special in your life, someone else you’ve watched be a good mother — and bless her and her efforts.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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