Knowing that his death was near, Jesus demonstrated love, compassion, and value for his mother by making sure she would be taken care of after his death:
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home (John 19: 25-27 NIV).
In the past six decades, motherhood has been denigrated, with some going so far as to suggest that those who choose to have children select an inferior lifestyle. Personally, two instances stand out in my mind: A businessman, finding out that Linda and I had four children, sarcastically summed up his thoughts, “My condolences!” On another occasion, a professor, whom I had previously admired, urged me to get my priorities straight, “Do you want a family or an education?” Fortunately, many young couples, especially those who are followers of Christ, are beginning to rediscover the fulfillment found in purposeful parenthood.
Honoring the Mothers in My Life
This week, while telling Linda stories and singing songs she learned as a child, two realities captivated me: Aging and the ravages of Alzheimer’s are obviously impacting her physical appearance; however, the obvious presence of Christ within makes her more beautiful than ever. My memories of her as a young mother lovingly caring for her children are so precious to me; however, my awareness that in Heaven she is going to inhabit a glorified body and be free from confusion and delusions, overwhelms me with joy. She is, and will forever be, the love of my life!
Looking back, I am so thankful that my mother was willing to endure the pain of bringing me into the world. Weighing in at 11 ½ pounds, that was not an easy task. Memories of chili, cornbread and tea cakes that cannot be duplicated still create within me a desire to sit down at her table. Of greater importance, she taught me spiritual lessons that I have shared with hundreds of mothers who were grieving over a straying child: “There is something special about a mother’s prayer! If you give up, your child has lost their most powerful intercessor!”
Following in the footsteps of their mother, our daughters, Melinda and Stephanie, navigating through the perils of motherhood and now embracing the role of grandmother, create within me consternation and joy: Consternation, because I still have trouble wrapping my arms around the fact that they are all grown up. Joy, because when facing the rough spots in family life, they pray, seek biblical answers and disregard the plethora of media solutions. Equally important, they have found fulfillment in purposeful parenthood and are setting an example for Taylor and Jenevieve, the mothers of my great-grandchildren.
My two sisters, Genetha, ten years older than I and Judy, three years younger than I, continue to be a significant part of my life. From the time I was born, Genetha took on the job of being my second mother. I have never figured out if that was because she adored me or Mother had difficulty getting over the memory of giving birth to a small elephant. Judy had a much different role. Being a sweet child, she pleased our parents because at least one child from the second batch stayed out of trouble. Thankfully, they still have time to pray for me each day.
Scientific Breakthroughs in Motherhood
In this month’s edition of Smithsonian Magazine, two leading statements, in an article entitled The New Science of Motherhood, caught my attention: “For moms, there’s physiological and neurological truth to the cliché that parenthood changes a person.” “Through studies of fetal DNA, researchers are revealing how a child can shape a mom’s heart and mind—literally.” Greatly simplified, the article details recent findings that DNA from a fetus has the capacity to travel through the placenta and years later be found embedded in the cells of the mother.
Even though, I am quite sure the researchers had no intention of corroborating biblical truth, nevertheless, they have:
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed (Psalm 139:13-16 NIV).
Ron Harvard Ministries 