Mother's Day Reflections

God really used our pastor's sermon this past Sunday to help me look at some new aspects of motherhood. The Scripture passage was Exodus 2:1-10 which tells the story of Moses' mother giving birth to him, hiding him for three months (the Egyptian Pharaoh had decreed that all Hebrew baby boys be killed!), placing him safely in a basket in the Nile river, being paid by Pharaoh's daughter to nurse him (I need to find someone who will pay me to nurse Braewyn; great side income!), and then releasing Moses back to Pharaoh's daughter for good.

The sermon was entitled, "A Godly Mother Chooses Life." The first point was "She Chose Life for Herself." Moses' mother was a godly woman herself. If it is my goal to be a godly mother, I also must be a godly woman. By striving to know Christ more each day, I become a better mother too.

The second point was "She Chooses Life for Her Children." This is done obviously in giving birth to children and caring for them physically, but there is so much more involved.

1. She Expects (Exodus 2:2b "When she saw that he was a fine child...") Moses' mother saw something special in her son and determined for him to live out the plan God had in store for him. As mothers, we all think of our children as special. We must take it a step further and diligently pray for these children to receive salvation in Christ and to desire to seek God's direction in their lives.

2. She Protects (Exodus 2:2c "she hid him away for three months.") Being given the responsibility of raising a child means protecting him physically, emotionally and spiritually. As our culture continues to decline, this challenge becomes more difficult by the year. Upon voicing my concern about what it will be like when Philip is a teenager, my pastor gave me some good advice. "The same God who was there for you will be there for Philip." There are countless accounts of people in the Bible who lived fully for God despite troublesome circumstances and He is just as powerful and present in our current day to help our children too.

3. She Connects (Exodus 2:7-9 "Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him.") We should be as involved in our children's lives as we can be. When friction arises (especially during the teenage years), never give up at connecting with our children. At the same time however, we cannot try to control them beyond what is normal. We must entrust them back to God and His protection as they are each truly gifts from Him.

In the midst of temper tantrums and typical toddler wildness, I can easily lose perspective. It is my prayer to raise Philip and Braewyn to be God-honoring people.