A Mother's Love

I asked my Mom to write this article for our New Little Blessing ENewsletter. I wanted to post it here for Mother's Day. Have a wonderful day!

A MOTHER’S LOVE

Being a Mother has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I am so grateful my Heavenly Father allowed me the wonderful responsibility of being a Mother to my now three adult children! I was also blessed to be able to home school them for 16 years with my youngest daughter never stepping a foot in a schoolroom.
My oldest daughter asked me to write this article several weeks ago and this is one time I didn’t balk or delay in responding to a yes! The reason is simply I loved being a Mother and I want to share a few words about the goals of Motherhood that I think are important. Since Jennifer wanted the theme to be centered on Mothers for Mother’s Day, I have enjoyed a few moments in looking back on my Mother’s Day experiences. I have always loved Mother’s Day. It was a special time in our home and I can see my children scurrying around to get their projects done on time. Fixing a meal as they got older required my two daughters and son to work together. They did a fine job in accomplishing that task in itself! I can see the results in my mind when they were much younger. The tray of food brought some crusty scrambled eggs. cold toast and a cup of tea with half of the tea resting in the saucer! The sweet touch of a handpicked bouquet with dandelions and a couple of flowering weeds brought a smile to their faces as I sniffed and said, “Oh, the flowers are so pretty!” and watched the pollen settle on the tray! Only a Mother would find this to be the best meal of that day!
I decided to write some thoughts based on my title in the form of an acronym. I do hope you find a few nuggets of truth for your life in being the best Mother you can be!

A MOTHER’S LOVE

Advocate - 1 John 2 tells us, “We have an advocate with the Father.” Just as we
treasure knowing God is on our side, try to always let your children
know that you are their advocate in their everyday dealings on this
Earth.

Magnanimous - An old-fashioned word and not commonly heard today but I really
like the meaning. The best examples of Mothers in our history of
this world were Mothers whose lives were dictated by
magnanimity, exhibiting nobleness of soul, not selfish…prompts
{her} to sacrifice personal ease, interest (think hobbies put on
hold that would take you away from your children’s precious
needs) and safety for the accomplishment of useful and noble
objects. Are these challenging goals or what? Achieving the goals
of Motherhood does take tremendous sacrifice on your part but
God has ordained these responsibilities from the beginning of time
and He will assist us all the way as we call out to Him in prayer.

Obedient - Teaching our children to be obedient to us is a monumental task. But
in order to teach them properly to obey we must let our children learn
to see obedience in action! Do we respond to our Heavenly Father with
delight? Do we show our willingness to obey God’s commandments? If
you are a new Christian (and I was) then you will learn along side your
children!

Tenderhearted - “Be ye kind one to another, and tender-hearted.” Ephesians 9. I
think it is safe to say this is one of the first areas Mothers begin child-
training. Your children’s interaction with one another throughout
day requires kindness on everyone’s part. Because we are selfish by
nature, our reminders, “share with each other,” or “give a kiss to
your baby brother so he will feel better,“ help to set the stage for the bigger goals: your children performing acts of kindness on their own!
It all happens so gradually that in all honesty, we sometimes do not
grasp all that has taken place in our efforts to teach and exemplify
kindness! I believe being tender-hearted is learned through acts of
kindness although you will likely find one child a little more tender-
hearted than another. God blesses our home with little ones with
their gifts and talents unique from each other.

Honor - “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. John 5.” It is truly an honor that God places the trust of a Mother to
teach a child to honor Him and to honor His Only Begotten Son.
When a Mother lives her life devoted to God and all of her life is
centered on that devotion, her children will see giving Honor to God to be a very natural expression.

Encouragement - I believe for all who read these words that none can push
themselves in every area of life without some encouraging words
here and there. Think of a little seedling sitting in a hot, sunny
room feeling quite parched. When the gardener comes with a
watering can, the water acts as an encourager to grow. Be the best
encourager for your child so growth is strong and sturdy in their
spirits.

Respectful - If I were to be diligent in all areas of child training and yet I did
not teach my children to be respectful to God and their parents then
I have failed.

Soberness - One of the meanings of this word expresses our need to have free-
dom from heat and passion, calmness and coolness. Little children
live in the “now moments!” Be patient as you help them realize this
and learn that waiting 30 minutes for snack time WILL happen, that
sharing their favorite toy will NOT bring sudden death! (A tip here:
Timers work wonderfully to give “definition of time, if you will,
while they are young.)

Laughter - When a young Mother is caring for little ones everyday and all the tasks that come with her role, it gets very taxing and the demands
can be overwhelming at times. Stop and Drop to the nearest couch!
Call your little ones for some tickle time, a good fun book, or pick a
funny word for that day!

Open-minded - There are many voices that speak of child training. Study and
study some more, keeping your heart and mind open to the leadings
of the Holy Spirit directing you the best path to take. Your
husband will hopefully be involved in this process with you!

Victorious - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,” and this
Scripture applies to you as a Mother as well as the Apostle Paul. With prayer and wisdom from above, you will see signs of victory many times over. Keep looking to God to see you through the
struggles and it is my hope and prayer for you as well as myself that
when you are old your children will “rise up and call you blessed.”

Endurance - What a fitting word for my last entry! We are to endure to the end.
I remember the desire for the day to come to an end so I could go to
bed! Today, we have at our fingertips, books galore and information
on the many wonderful Mothers that have gone on before us. Such
wonderful examples and I encourage you to read and cling to those
truths that speak to your heart as you read.

May God Bless You This Day and Every Day!
His Handmaiden,
Mrs. Deborah Dean
May 3, 2006
(a note: I used Webster’s 1828 Dictionary for help in writing this article and I strongly encourage you to check it out! It was used a lot in our home and I continue to use it.)