HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mothers out there! I hope it turns out to be beautiful day, and you receive your one day in the spotlight, though you deserve a lot more, cause it’s not easy being a mother. It’s probably the most difficult job in the whole world since you have no fail-safe manuals to direct or guide you, and it’s certainly the worst paying. It’s a lifetime duty that has no guarantees of a pension or other benefits, and is definitely under appreciated by all and sundry. Most of you probably know the story of the husband who felt all his wife did was sit at home all day long and twiddle her thumbs, while he worked like a dog to bring home the bacon, so he exchanged jobs with her for a day. Bet yuh bottom dollar he was glad to get back to his executive office job the following day! The constant juggling of tasks from early morn to late night was too much for him to handle. That’s why who ever wrote Proverbs 31:10-31 extolled the virtues of a good woman. The scholars claim it should not be considered as king Lemuel’s words, but taken as an anonymous poem. But vs.10 says it all. ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.’ Now isn’t that the living truth my Friends? A good woman is hard to find; a good mother even harder, for she must have all the feminine attributes to entice a man, as well as all the motherly virtues to raise children mannerly and godly, keep a good home and still entice and excite her husband. Wow! No wonder so many women opt out of marriage and/or motherhood altogether. The demands are a lot for one person to bear. And to make matters worse, nowadays, the wife and mother is often expected to have a nine to five job outside of the home too. Consequently, it’s a source of tension within the home and leads in many cases to the breakdown and break-up of the family unit. And once the mainstay group of our society, the family unit, begins falling apart, it will be soon reflected in the society at large, through selfishness, lack of disciple and violence. Consider our current society. However we’ve come to day to praise Mother, not fault her. So let’s do that by highlighting a few virtuous and godly women from the Good Book. We’ll begin with Ruth, who after the males in her family died, migrated to the land of her mother-in-law, Naomi, and cared for her. So much so that when Naomi’s kinsman, the wealthy Boaz, met Ruth, he declared; ‘And now my daughter, fear not; I will do all that thou requirest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.’ (Ruth 3:11) It was no secret; the whole town knew that Ruth was a good woman. And she turned out to be Bruh David’s great grandmother. More mysterious, but obviously purposeful workings of our God. Then we have Bruh Paul talking about Timothy’s mother and grandmother: ‘When I call to remembrance, the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.’ Timothy had godly women around him, just like I did; first my great grandmother Lee, then my mother Molly. Those are the ones who sowed the seeds of any righteousness that’s in me today. Oh my Friends, there are so many godly, virtuous women in the Good Book who played significant roles in their family’s lives that we can only mention a few: like Sarah, Isaac’s mother; Hannah, Samuel’s mother, Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. And we must mention Mary, the mother of Jesus. Look at what she went through. In fact think about the trials that all those women went through for their sons and their families. Remember too that the Bible is based on a very patriarchal society, so any time a woman gets mentioned in it by name, she must have done something significant. But fear not Mothers, for the Lord has you in the palm of His hand, holding you close to His heart. He knows the burden(s) you’re called to bear, and that you don’t get the proper respect or rewards due to you from the sons of men. That’s why you can successfully do all those things you do, because He’s a just and merciful God, never giving you more than you can bear, endowing you with the strength, patience, wisdom, comforting nature and what ever else you need to take care of your family. No man can accomplish your tasks, plus bear and nurture children. So be proud, hold your head up high, and think highly of yourselves, for there’s no other occupation in the world that surpasses that of a Mother. As one proud Mother when asked for her occupation by an uppity Registry Clerk, she replied, ‘Research Associate in the Fields of Child Development and Human Relations. One of the most demanding jobs in the Humanities. And the rewards are more of a satisfaction than just money.’ (smile) But it’s the gospel truth! Please remember too that ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.’ (Prov.31:30) Also, as Bruh David rightly says, through God’s tender mercies, ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord!’ (Ps.113:9) Please keep on doing that Mothers. You are Distinguished and Indispensable; the major source of God’s goodness here on earth. Much LOVE!…to be a good Mother…ohhh…it’s the hardest hard…
SCRIP-BITS 