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By Carroll Graybeal Guest Columnist
When women are asked what kind of work they do, not realizing what they are saying, they often respond with “I don’t work, I’m just a house wife and mother.” There is no harder or more important work than that of motherhood. It has been said, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” Next to God, the mother’s power for good is the strongest known on earth, her influence on the children is even greater than that of the father because there is a greater earthly tie and tenderer bond of union between them.
Many of the great men of the world credit their accomplishments to the influence of their mother. “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.” “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”- Abraham Lincoln “I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon “There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.”- Andrew Jackson “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”- George Washington “My mother said to me, “If you become a soldier you’ll be a general; if you become a monk you’ll end up as the pope.” Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”- Pablo Picasso Only eternity will reveal the full extent of a mother’s influence in shaping the destiny of the world. The following story, whose source is unknown, well illustrates the thinking of little children in regard to the working role of a mother. Second graders were given a lesson on the magnet and the work it performs. In a later test the teacher gave this question. “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?” Almost 50% answered the question with the word Mother. What a shame that so many mothers fail to realize the high calling of their work in molding and shaping the character of their children. No human being in the world has ever been honored as much as Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mothers who dedicate their lives to educating their children to love and fear God will receive as great a reward as the minister in the pulpit. Your comments are welcome.
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Carroll Graybeal is the retired pastor of The Seventh Day Adventist Church. |
