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In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution with Congress, paving the way for an annual celebration of Mother’s Day recognized by the Federal Government. The following year was the first official celebration. The History of Mother’s Day: The Origin Story Behind Mother’s Day gives a brief historical overview of what has become a nationally recognized day for over a century. We think it is a good thing to corporately recognize mothers, especially in these anti-traditional days (foisted upon us by a vocal minority) and the attempted elimination of long-held knowledge of just what a woman is. It’s really very strange. Among progressive activists, university educators, and politicians, mothers seem now to be little more than human incubators, labeled by some as “birthing persons.” Rather than the very high esteem in which mothers were once held, mothers these days seem vastly underappreciated when compared with those of generations past. Yet, we believe that the highly vocal minority certainly does not speak for all, and likely not even close to most. Mothers are loved, appreciated, and honored by most.

It seems to us that the cliché, “more is caught than taught,” is certainly true of mothers and their children. They teach largely by “right living” –how they live, how they serve, and especially in how they so deeply love those in their care. That love has more power to persuade their offspring than anything they may say. The Apostle Paul writes to the young pastor, Timothy:

For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. (1 Timothy 1:5)

A quiet living faith passed on by a mother and grandmother to their offspring is a true example of the power of “the hand that rocks the cradle.” Many perhaps don’t think enough about the sacrifices mothers make and the selfless lives they live.

There are many examples in Scripture. In 1 Samuel 1:19-28, we read of the childless Hannah, who asked God for a child and then dedicated her son’s life back to the Lord. Giving up her firstborn to serve God in the temple would, of course, be a great sacrifice for a mother to make. How difficult would it be to give up your firstborn child, to thereby miss out on so many first moments and “discoveries” they would make? Hannah’s faithfulness and trust were indeed passed on to Samuel.

Joy and I have different vantage points from which to consider this. I am a father, and Joy, on the other hand, is a mother. We think that’s a pretty good way to raise kids whenever possible. Both of us were influenced by our own mothers, as well as each other’s mothers as well.

I (Don) was the oldest of six kids. When I was just coming into my teens, my mother divorced in order to save herself and us from the physical abuse of my father. She raised us largely by herself, working several jobs to support her brood. It would have perhaps been easier to give us up for adoption, but instead, she often worked two jobs to keep us fed, clothed, and safe. At Christmas time, she’d often work yet another part-time job to provide her kids with presents under a Christmas tree. As kids, we surely could not have fully appreciated the sacrifices she made. It probably wasn’t until our son was in his teens that I really appreciated what I had put her through and the sacrifices she had made. After our son turned fifteen, I ended up calling her, apologizing for ever being fifteen, and confessed that I certainly hadn’t known what I was putting her through at the time. It seems I picked up many of her characteristics, which I learned mostly by observation. Working long hours never scared me. I learned not to be afraid to try new things. I learned not to be intimidated by others and to stay focused on the task at hand. When Joy described her, she’d sometimes say, “She is a smaller and meaner version of Don.” The two women came to be very close. She was indeed a strong-willed woman who was very protective of and sacrificial toward her kids. She passed away from cancer and fought through it every step of the way. She stayed in her apartment until the night she passed into the Lord’s presence while my dear sister was sleeping next to her.

Joy’s mother had a strong influence not only on Joy but on me as well.  Relationships and prayer are two key words that describe Joy’s mom. We would tease her because she came across as a worrywart and sometimes sounded to us like the character Puddleglum in the Chronicles of Narnia, but when she would begin worrying, she would say, “We need to leave this in the Lord’s hands,” and then commit it to prayer. She awoke many nights to pray for her good missionary friends in Africa, whom she would later learn had been in a precarious situation on that particular night. Until she went home to be with the Lord, we depended on her prayers for us, the ministry, our lives, jobs, and, of course, our kids. She was very faithful in this and saw answers to her prayers on a regular basis. In a culture that seems now to specialize in short-term, throw-away relationships, she had many of her friendships of youth into old age. She was largely a stay-at-home mom who invested herself not only in her kids but also in her kids’ friends. She taught Joy’s friend Penny how to bake bread, and showed me how to remain faithful in prayer, among many other things – and taught all of us how to maintain steady, lifelong relationships.

Another thing she passed on by example was a deep respect and concern about the things of God. As we see so much false teaching and bad behavior on the part of religious leaders, Joy often asks, “Do they have no fear of God?” I have learned more about faith and faithfulness from Joy than probably any other human I know. She, too, has lifelong friends she has cherished since childhood. If she makes a commitment to doing something, you can know with certainty that she will follow through to the best of her ability. She has enormous patience (as can be attested to by her staying married to me for nearly 55 years now). Our son Lee graduated from high school and insisted that she deserves the diploma because she dragged him through the homework. She is devoted to her children and, of course, to her grandchildren – so much so that at one point she took up over-the-road trucking with me to help keep them safe, warm, and protected as we all lived together in difficult times. She has the same dedication to prayer as her mother had and a deep love for those who need Christ. The very thought of people spending an eternity without Christ can bring her to tears in a moment.

Our daughter, Jennifer, is an interesting composite of these three women. She is very devoted to her kids and has sacrificed a great deal for them.  She was a stay-at-home mom of sorts for most of the kids’ growing-up years. By that, I mean she was home for her kids but worked two jobs from home to make ends meet. We have always known the three grandkids were exceptional people. But of course! Our Granddaughter is getting married next weekend to a fine young man who recently came to the Lord as well. Jennifer has the tenacity and extreme work ethic of my mom, the heart for God and commitment to prayer of both Joy and her mom, and the intelligence and wit of her mother (Joy). I am very proud to be her dad, and for the kids to call me Grandpa.

We all impact one another a great deal by how we live. That impact is not always immediately apparent but can very often be seen and appreciated over the long term. We cannot really do justice to any of these women in a short piece like this and run the risk of leaving out something that is of vast importance. But we certainly know we are blessed.

The young pastor Timothy had the loving imprint of his godly mother and grandmother on his life. We’ve been blessed with a similar imprint from our own mothers and wonderful grandmothers up the line. Fathers and Grandfathers have a similar positive impact in perhaps a little bit of a different way which – Who knows? – we may discuss in June.

Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Proverbs 31:25-26)Ω

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