Mothers wear many hats. You don’t appreciate all of these hats fully until you are yourself a mother. Many of these hats have multiple uses. (It’s just like a mom to get the most for her money, right?) Let’s take a look at just a few of these hats.
We all need food to survive. Moms wear a chef’s hat. When she wears this hat, she provides nourishment for her family. Sometimes the meals are gourmet. And sometimes, it’s out of a box. But nevertheless, these meals are all made with love and with the intent to satisfy one of the most basic needs of her children.
The chef’s hat is important for another reason too. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed and guide many.” Isn’t it so true that we can lift up or tear down someone with a single word? A mother encourages when no one else can. She loves us even when we’re unlovable. It’s the closest picture we have on earth of Christ’s love for us.
Particularly important in a house of boys is the hard hat. This hat has quite a number of uses. In my house of boys, there is always something flying through the air. In fact, I neglected to put on my hard hat a few weeks ago and ended up nearly needing stitches.
And doesn’t it just always happen that something breaks when you need it most and no one else is around to fix it? Once again, it’s time to pull out the hard hat and get the job done. That clogged drain will wait for nothing!
Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the armor of God. Verses 17-18 instruct us to “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” As mother’s we are one of the most important and prominent influences in our children’s lives. We need to be in the word and provide that wise counsel for our children. And we of course, need to lift them up in prayer continuously.
This hat needs little introduction. The chauffeur, or mom, seems to always be shuttling her children from place to place for school, sporting events, sleepovers, birthday parties, the list goes on and on. I’m told, the older they get the more you wear this hat.
As a mother, we guide and steer our children in the ways of the Lord. When they are young, they’re just along for the ride in our spiritual car. As they get older, they begin to drive their own car. But moms still gently guide them at first. 1 Peter 1:18 from the Message says, “Your life is a journey, you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.” It is every mother’s hope that she will pass this consciousness of God on to her children.
As the party planner, a mom wears a party hat. Moms always plan the most special parties for their children. It can be an elaborate birthday celebration or just a simple heart shaped pancake to face a difficult day. Mothers are always celebrating their children in small and large victories and always find a way to celebrate the disappointments too.
Sometimes, the last thing moms feel like doing is celebrating. But Proverbs 17:22 says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Moms always find a way to focus on the positive of every situation instead of letting her children dwell on disappointments. She is her child’s biggest cheerleader.
A mom knows how to cure a fever, a splinter, a bruised spirit, and so much more. As a nurse, a mother can cure just about anything with a kiss and a band-aide. Moms are always on call. Illness does not have business hours. Sometimes moms sit up in the night just holding a sick child.
There’s a saying “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Unfortunately, we all learn at an early age this just isn’t true. A mother who is rooted in Scripture is well equipped to nurse the emotional wounds of her children. Ultimately, Christ is the great physician just as Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”
As a mother, she must be a good detective. In the beginning of motherhood, this entails searching for that special swaddle blanket at the store that will solve all of her problems. As time passes, the detective duties move to finding that lovey or special toy that has been misplaced. Where was it last seen? A mom knows all the right places to look. When her children gets a little older, she must monitor what they watch, what they read, who they are spending their time with.
Proverbs 1:5 tells us “Let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance.” Mothers must always seek guidance from the Lord. This is a particularly hard task in my opinion. Mothers often want to swoop in and protect their babies from every bit of harm. But sometimes, she must just stand by and watch as the Lord works.
Small children come up with some very interesting and sometimes tricky questions. For instance, “Mommy, did God paint me?” Sometimes, she has to be very creative to answer these questions. Now it’s time she put on her thinking cap.
“I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.” Psalm 143:5 The Lord is pretty amazing. It is often hard to grasp all of his wonder. This can be especially hard for her children to grasp. She must really ponder His great works to explain them to her children.
As a mother, it’s sometimes hard to feel pretty…what with the peanut butter in your hair (can that be considered hair product?) and the unidentifiable substance on your shirt. From time to time a mother must dust off her tiara and spend a little time doing something for herself.
Proverbs 4:9 says, “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” Isn’t it good to know no matter what the situation mothers are crowned with grace and beauty? The Lord is her strength. His grace is sufficient to sustain her as she guides her children in His ways.
I once heard my mother say about her own mother, “No one loves you like your mother.” It’s very true. Mothers are amazing. Only a mother can ask her child for help, when she knows later, she’ll have a little extra work to do because of this help. Today, we want to thank all the mothers among us for the wonderful things she is and represents. Happy Mother’s Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment