Thursday, May 10, 2007

Who's Your Mama?


Seems to me that the more prepared I think I am, to do what I do, the more I realize how ill prepared I actually am. As I've been pondering over my Mother's Day message, thinking about all the good things there are to say about mothers, I am reminded that this is not exactly a euphoric day for everyone. Maybe this day is too painful for you to celebrate because you've lost your mother to cancer or some other such debilitating illness. Or your mother may have been an alcoholic, drug-abusing, child-neglecting parent, and you couldn't wait to be rid of her.

True, some mothers are like the proverbial Jezebel, or like Herodias who plotted with her daughter to demand the head of John the Baptist on a platter. These women give motherhood a bad rap. I suggest though, that such women are a minority, especially when we consider women like Moses's mother, or Hannah, (Samuel's mother), or Mrs. Manoah, (Samson's mother), and the list goes on and on. Whichever group you fall into, great mom or not-so-great mom, I want to encourage you to remember that a biological mother is not the only kind of mother you can have. I've had some really great women in my life who helped shape my outlook and worldview. It was a privilege for me to refer to each one of them as "Mom" because of what they added to my life.

If your mother was a poor role model for motherhood, look around you and you'll probably find women who have very effectively added value to your life as you have navigated all the obstacles you have had to contend with. If you haven't taken advantage of such relationships, I encourage you to begin doing that today. Trust me when I tell you that you will be so much better for the experience.

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