Just a Housewife?
A lawyer met a housewife at a function, and asked her what she did. The housewife replied, "I am socialising two homo-sapiens in the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the teleologically prescribed utopia inherent in the eschaton." Then she added, "And what do YOU do?" The lawyer stammered: "Er, I'm just a lawyer."
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this child that I call mine; not my possession but my sacred charge. Teach me patience and humility so that the best I know may flow in its being. Let me always remember, parental love is my natural instinct but my child's love must ever be deserved and earned; That for love I must give love, That for understanding I must give understanding, That for respect, I must give respect; That as I was the giver of life, so must I be the giver always. Help me to share my child with life and not toclutch at it for my own sake. Give courage to do my share to make this world a better place for all children and my own.
Mother's Creed
John Killinger's book LOST IN WONDER, LOVE, AND PRAISE includes the following affirmation:
I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LOVING GOD, WHO WAS BORN OF THE PROMISE TO A VIRGIN NAMED MARY. I BELIEVE IN THE LOVE MARY GAVE HER SON, THAT CAUSED HER TO FOLLOW HIM IN HIS MINISTRY AND STAND BY HIS CROSS AS HE DIED. I BELIEVE IN THE LOVE OF ALL MOTHERS, AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN THEY BEAR. IT IS STRONGER THAN STEEL, SOFTER THAN DOWN, AND MORE RESILIENT THAN A GREEN SAPLING ON THE HILLSIDE. IT CLOSES WOUNDS, MELTS DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND ENABLES THE WEAKEST CHILD TO STAND TALL AND STRAIGHT IN THE FIELDS OF ADVERSITY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS LOVE, EVEN AT ITS BEST, IS ONLY A SHADOW OF THE LOVE OF GOD, A DARK REFLECTION OF ALL THAT WE CAN EXPECT OF HIM, BOTH IN THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT. AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS IN THE WORLD IS A MOTHER WHO LETS THIS GREATER LOVE FLOW THROUGH HER TO HER CHILD, BLESSING THE WORLD WITH THE TENDERNESS OF HER TOUCH AND THE TEARS OF HER JOY.
THE BEAUTY OF LOVE
A little girl came to her mother one day and said, "Mother, why do
you always wear gloves?" The mother replied, "Because my hands are
such ugly, unsightly hands." "But," said the daughter, "Mother, what
is the matter with your hands?" "Please take off your gloves. I want
to see your hands." The mother did so, and as the little girl saw the
burned, drawn hands, she said, "O, Mother, put the gloves back on."
Then she said, "But, Mother, how came your hands so burned and drawn?"
She said, "When you were a baby the house was on fire; your bed and
your clothes were on fire and in rescuing you I burned my hands." The
little girl said, "Take off the gloves again, I do want to look at
your hands." She did so, and the little girl affectionately patted and
kissed the unsightly hands and said, "These are the most beautiful
hands I have ever seen." Love beautifies. We need more of it. -- By William Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations."
Seen on a church sign:
If evolution is true, how come mothers still have only two hands? -- Donna Waldeyer, Paoli, Pennsylvania, Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."
God knew there should be mothers
God knew there should be mothers
to hear each infant's cry,
To pat away the little tears
that fill a baby's eye . . .
God knew there should be mothers
to hear a child's first word,
To losten with attention
when a child's voice mist be heard . . .
God knew that each and every child
needs someone close each day
To help them out, to cheer them up
at home, at school, at play –
To teach them how to share this world
with sisters and with brothers –
And so in His great wisdom.
God created mothers.
- Jean Kyler McManus, on a greeting card
What Is a Mother?
Mothers come in various sizes: skinny, filled-out, and "oops!" They are found everywhere: in maternity wards, over ironing boards, teaching three-year-olds "Jesus Loves Me," up and around while the rest of the family is down with the flu, asking for their S & H green stamps, championing causes, turning right out of the left lane, kissing where it hurts, perspiring over new math, changing her husband's mind, looking daggers at the umpire who has just called her little boy out on strikes, popping corn at the school festival, on her knees with an open Bible, taking away privileges, giving back privileges, pushing piano practice, and sitting in a pew crying while her little girl is being married.
Mothers worry about everything: the war, her daughter's first date, bike riding in the street, her first gray hair, the baby's fever, first day at school, her husband's cholesterol level, her first gray hair, her son's solo drive in the family car, report cards, warmed over suppers, mistreated children, her first gray hair, and too much violence on T.V.
A Mother is happiness with tears in its eyes; love with a firm paddle in its hand; joy watching Dad and the kids devour chicken and noodles; sacrifice taking the neck and wings and leaving the breast and drumsticks; foresight stashing away a little extra for college; faith singing in the choir, herding primaries, serving the church dinner, keeping up the pledge, making a call, and sending a box to the missionaries.
The day can be a fabulous flop complete with a dented fender, a collapsed cake, a six-stitch cut, an upset bowl of chocolate ice cream on the new carpet, daughter emerging from the bathroom with a new hair shade, and the husband coming home and asking, "What have you been doing today?"
But when all is quiet at 4939 Shady Rest, when Dad is home and the baths are over and the homework done and the prayers are said, Mother takes that one last peek into every bed, and seeing the sweet innocent faces asleep, says guiltily: "How could I have screamed at her today?" "How could I have spanked him?"
And full of faith, hope, and love she looks out the window through misty eyes at the night-sky and prays -
-----------------
Being a Mother is such a demanding task that God has entrusted it only to females. There is no experience so costly, so rewarding, so aging, and so exciting as being a Mother.
There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. - Jill Churchill, Grime and Punishment (Bantam)
* 88% of American women say that if they could afford it,they would stay at home with their children.
Tribute to Motherhood
"A tribute to motherhood through famous quotations, poems, and verses. Use these words and our links to Victorian art to help fashion a greeting to your own mother or wife."
QUOTATIONS
"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." -- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." -- Jewish proverb
"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." -- Lin Yutang
"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." -- Honore' de Balzac (1799-1850)
"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her." -- George Washington (1732-1799)
"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1907- )
"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." -- Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) "Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)
"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." -- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." --Author Unknown
Mother’s Day — How it All Began
Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother's favorite flower) to each person who attended.
Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day was observed in a number of large cities in the U.S.
On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclained the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day.
The Day the Angels Sang to Mother
One day, a young Mother set her foot on the path of life. She was excited and thrilled by what laid ahead of her. Curious, though, by her mysterious journey, she asked her Guardian Angel, "Is the journey long and difficult?"
Her Guardian Angel replied: "Yes, and at times the journey will seem hard and burdensome. But remember this, no matter how tough it gets, you'll discover that everything will work out for the best if you have faith in the Almighty One. Trust me, the end will be better than the beginning."
The young Mother was happy, and she did not believe that anything could be better or more special than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way. Life was good during these early years since the sun always casted its radiance on them. Because of this, the young Mother rejoiced and said, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than these years."
Then night came and a violent storm gathered. Both the wind and the rain drenched them. In no time, the children were trembling with fear and terror. Concerned about their safety, the Mother immediately drew them close to her bosom and tenderly covered them with her mantle. Comforted, the children said, "Mother, we are no longer afraid, for you are near. No harm can touch us now." The Mother then took a deep sigh and said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children the value of trust and courage."
Eventually morning arrived. At the break of dawn, they all saw a rocky hill ahead. The children decided to climb it, but quickly grew weary. The Mother too was weary, but she repeatedly encouraged her children saying, "A little more effort and patience, for we're almost there." So the children continued to climb the hill -- even when they slipped and fell along the rugged path. When they finally reached the top, they triumphantly cheered, "We couldn't have done it without you, Mother, and now we know that we can overcome any mountain that comes along our way." That night, the Mother raised her tired eyes to Heaven and thanked God saying, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned endurance and hope in the face of hardships."
The next day, strange clouds came which darkened the earth -- clouds of war, hatred, and evil. Overwhelmed by these threatening clouds, the Mother and her children staggered and stumbled. Fortunately, though, the Mother remembered what her Guardian Angel told her. Therefore, she inspired her children saying, "Have faith, my beloved ones. Lift your eyes to the Light, for the Light will bring forth sunshine in the midst of this dreadful darkness." So the children looked to the Light, and saw an Everlasting Friend above the clouds. The Everlasting Friend guided them, and successfully brought them beyond the horrifying evil. That evening, the Mother wept and said, "This is the best day of all, for I have taught my children to love God."
And the days went by. The weeks, the months, and the years took their natural course. The day, however, finally came when the Mother grew old. By now, she was tired, wrinkled, and weak. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. Indeed, when the road was hard, they helped their Mother. When the road was rough, they lifted her. And when the road was too painful, they carried her.
Ultimately, though, the day came when the Mother and her children arrived at a forest. Beyond the forest, they could see a sparkling trail which led them to some gates that were made of diamonds and pearls. The golden brilliance of this Gate was majestic and breathtaking. At the other side of the Gate, there were some people dressed in white robes.
With a smile on their faces, they beckoned the Mother to walk through the Gates.
Upon seeing the wondrous Gate, the Mother said: "I have successfully reached the end of my journey. My Guardian Angel was right, for now I know that the end is better than the beginning. Indeed, my children can walk alone, and their children after them." The children then turned to her and declared, "You'll always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the Gates."
Soon thereafter, the children watched her as she walked through the Gates of Eternal Life. When the Mother finally made it through the Gates, the children suddenly heard a heavenly chorus. Unlike anything heard on earth, the chorus sang extravagant songs of praise and admiration in honor of the Mother. The children wept when they heard the songs because they were so grateful for their Mother.
At last, though, they were forced to smile and say, "We cannot see her, but she is still with us. A Mother like ours is more than a loving memory. She is a living Presence for all eternity." It was a day never to be forgotten because it was the day the angels sang to Mother....Unknown Author
Last modified: April 18, 2006