We Are Mothers
by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton (Notes) on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 3:09am
Mothers.
We come in all shapes and sizes. We are all ages. We are of many
different personalities. We are of different cultures. We are different
colors.
We are mothers. We are alike.
We wipe noses. We change diapers. We bandage knees. We wipe away tears. We dispense loads of hugs and kisses. We read stories, lots of stories ... over and over and over again. We fix snacks, lunches, suppers. We say "yes", we say "no", we say "maybe", we say "because I said so". We make birthday cakes. We set rules and curfews. We talk "at" ... discuss ...listen. We help with homework. We laugh at "unfunny" jokes. We lovingly accept wilted dandelion and buttercup bouquets from grimy little hands. We wait with anxious hearts for safe returns from first dates. We bravely wave good-bye at first-days of kindergarten, wipe away tears at high school graduations and bravely wave good-bye again at first-days of college. We do laundry. We search for stray socks...tiny ones, middle-sized ones, large ones. We bathe tiny toes and smudgy little faces. We brush curls and paste down unruly hair licks. We sit up nights cleaning up vomit, anointing fevered foreheads with cool cloths, giving sips of cold juice or 7-Up or orange juice or water. We fish rocks, pennies, sticky candy and squishy bugs from pockets before throwing clothes into the machine. We rock through the night, singing lullabies. We grieve the loss of, and attend the funerals of, pet rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. We fold tiny clothes, medium-sized clothes and, finally, adult-sized clothes and wonder where the years went.
We are mothers. We are alike.
We are Christian mothers who pray fervently for wisdom. We teach our children the things of God and urge them to keep on God's path. We ask God to keep them safe day by day, year by year. We take our children to church. We tell them how much Jesus loves them and of His great sacrifice for our redemption. We explain redemption, sin, forgiveness. We sing "Jesus Loves Me". We read the Bible to them; with them. We pray they will seek and find God themselves, knowing faith must become their faith ... their own faith ... not ours.
Yes, we are mothers. Yes, we are so much alike - wherever we are, whatever our culture, no matter our size or color or personality.
We are mothers who love our children. Who are so grateful to God that we have children. We are mothers and don't take for granted the love of our children.
We are mothers who, because of the very love of God Himself, can put our children ahead of ourselves, love them "no matter what". Love them as babies, love them as small children, love them as teens and as adults. Unconditionally. No matter their mistakes, their sins - just as God loves us. Just as we wish our children to love us.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all thinks, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
(the Bible: I Corinthians 13:4-8(a)/NKJV)
We are mothers. We are alike.
We are mothers. We are alike.
We wipe noses. We change diapers. We bandage knees. We wipe away tears. We dispense loads of hugs and kisses. We read stories, lots of stories ... over and over and over again. We fix snacks, lunches, suppers. We say "yes", we say "no", we say "maybe", we say "because I said so". We make birthday cakes. We set rules and curfews. We talk "at" ... discuss ...listen. We help with homework. We laugh at "unfunny" jokes. We lovingly accept wilted dandelion and buttercup bouquets from grimy little hands. We wait with anxious hearts for safe returns from first dates. We bravely wave good-bye at first-days of kindergarten, wipe away tears at high school graduations and bravely wave good-bye again at first-days of college. We do laundry. We search for stray socks...tiny ones, middle-sized ones, large ones. We bathe tiny toes and smudgy little faces. We brush curls and paste down unruly hair licks. We sit up nights cleaning up vomit, anointing fevered foreheads with cool cloths, giving sips of cold juice or 7-Up or orange juice or water. We fish rocks, pennies, sticky candy and squishy bugs from pockets before throwing clothes into the machine. We rock through the night, singing lullabies. We grieve the loss of, and attend the funerals of, pet rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. We fold tiny clothes, medium-sized clothes and, finally, adult-sized clothes and wonder where the years went.
We are mothers. We are alike.
We are Christian mothers who pray fervently for wisdom. We teach our children the things of God and urge them to keep on God's path. We ask God to keep them safe day by day, year by year. We take our children to church. We tell them how much Jesus loves them and of His great sacrifice for our redemption. We explain redemption, sin, forgiveness. We sing "Jesus Loves Me". We read the Bible to them; with them. We pray they will seek and find God themselves, knowing faith must become their faith ... their own faith ... not ours.
Yes, we are mothers. Yes, we are so much alike - wherever we are, whatever our culture, no matter our size or color or personality.
We are mothers who love our children. Who are so grateful to God that we have children. We are mothers and don't take for granted the love of our children.
We are mothers who, because of the very love of God Himself, can put our children ahead of ourselves, love them "no matter what". Love them as babies, love them as small children, love them as teens and as adults. Unconditionally. No matter their mistakes, their sins - just as God loves us. Just as we wish our children to love us.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all thinks, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
(the Bible: I Corinthians 13:4-8(a)/NKJV)
We are mothers. We are alike.
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