Mom
Mothers Day is a day set aside to acknowledge the women who nurture and nourish children, helping them reach maturity healthy and ready for life.
Biblically, mothers play key roles in the salvation history of God's people. Sarah tries to circumvent God's foolishness in choosing a couple of old people to be parents to a promise, then has to stand by as the old fool she married nearly nullifies the promise on a mountain top--may God be praised for wandering rams! Hannah prays herself into bearing a prophet named Samuel (more or less, "name of God"). We see Rachel and Leah manipulating, conniving, and doing everything in their power to clear the way for their sons. It culminates with Mary, the Mother of God in Eastern Orthodoxy--theotokos--the young woman charged with bringing the Messiah to life. She watches with moments of abject fear as her son grows up and away from her, even as she tries to protect him. She witnesses his death, something no mother--no parent--should endure. God himself weeps over God's people, lamenting that even as a mother hen would gather her brood, so God would gather God's people, but they flee from God.
Mothers are treasured, adored, and revealed in their full humanity, something we sometimes think negates the treasuring and the adoration, but I see it a bit differently.
All of us know we are imperfect. There is no greater pressure than having to deal with someone else's unreal expectations of us. The weight of assumed perfection is more than we can carry. Fortunately, the story of our faith--the Bible--never lays that burden on us (even as we seem determined to do so to one another). Instead, it tells the story of human beings working to be faithful, stumbling over themselves, and yet, through God's grace, rising again to keep going. God has infinite patience for us as we seek to be godly. God expects mistakes and missteps. In fact, God seems to keep some of the greatest expressions of love for those seemingly most prone to mistakes--think about Peter; remember Paul; and certainly look at David, Moses, and all the rest--yes, yes, I know these are all men--but God also stuck with Sarah when she had the temerity and the honesty to laugh in God's face.
My point is that we all know that being a mom is no guarantee to perfection. We know our moms made mistakes and blunders. But we also know how much we learned about being a child of God because of the grace revealed in our own upbringing. My mom was incredibly gracious with me, so I learned to be gracious in return. My mom overlooked some really stupid things I said and did as an adolescent (anyone who survives this stage without being throttled by one's parents and kin should praise the Lord everlastingly for grace and mercy), so I learned how to offer the same grace to others who messed up. That includes being gracious to my mom when she stumbles or trips over some relationship, conversation, or choice. I made it to adulthood, thanks be to God and to her, so patience is due in full measure.
One of the hallmarks of grace is seeing when someone assumes everyone else is doing far better and is much further down the road in being faithful. We meet this struggling saint with kindness and the assurance that we will walk with them until they find their own way. Think about your mom for a moment. Ever see her wondering if she did right? Ever see her doubting? If not, you probably need to pay better attention. Moms need someone to walk with them, be with them, and help them to see that God is so very close as she struggles to be who she knows she should be.
Take that walk.
That might be the best present any child can give.
Biblically, mothers play key roles in the salvation history of God's people. Sarah tries to circumvent God's foolishness in choosing a couple of old people to be parents to a promise, then has to stand by as the old fool she married nearly nullifies the promise on a mountain top--may God be praised for wandering rams! Hannah prays herself into bearing a prophet named Samuel (more or less, "name of God"). We see Rachel and Leah manipulating, conniving, and doing everything in their power to clear the way for their sons. It culminates with Mary, the Mother of God in Eastern Orthodoxy--theotokos--the young woman charged with bringing the Messiah to life. She watches with moments of abject fear as her son grows up and away from her, even as she tries to protect him. She witnesses his death, something no mother--no parent--should endure. God himself weeps over God's people, lamenting that even as a mother hen would gather her brood, so God would gather God's people, but they flee from God.
Mothers are treasured, adored, and revealed in their full humanity, something we sometimes think negates the treasuring and the adoration, but I see it a bit differently.
All of us know we are imperfect. There is no greater pressure than having to deal with someone else's unreal expectations of us. The weight of assumed perfection is more than we can carry. Fortunately, the story of our faith--the Bible--never lays that burden on us (even as we seem determined to do so to one another). Instead, it tells the story of human beings working to be faithful, stumbling over themselves, and yet, through God's grace, rising again to keep going. God has infinite patience for us as we seek to be godly. God expects mistakes and missteps. In fact, God seems to keep some of the greatest expressions of love for those seemingly most prone to mistakes--think about Peter; remember Paul; and certainly look at David, Moses, and all the rest--yes, yes, I know these are all men--but God also stuck with Sarah when she had the temerity and the honesty to laugh in God's face.
My point is that we all know that being a mom is no guarantee to perfection. We know our moms made mistakes and blunders. But we also know how much we learned about being a child of God because of the grace revealed in our own upbringing. My mom was incredibly gracious with me, so I learned to be gracious in return. My mom overlooked some really stupid things I said and did as an adolescent (anyone who survives this stage without being throttled by one's parents and kin should praise the Lord everlastingly for grace and mercy), so I learned how to offer the same grace to others who messed up. That includes being gracious to my mom when she stumbles or trips over some relationship, conversation, or choice. I made it to adulthood, thanks be to God and to her, so patience is due in full measure.
One of the hallmarks of grace is seeing when someone assumes everyone else is doing far better and is much further down the road in being faithful. We meet this struggling saint with kindness and the assurance that we will walk with them until they find their own way. Think about your mom for a moment. Ever see her wondering if she did right? Ever see her doubting? If not, you probably need to pay better attention. Moms need someone to walk with them, be with them, and help them to see that God is so very close as she struggles to be who she knows she should be.
Take that walk.
That might be the best present any child can give.
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