A Motherly Model

Mrs. Carter said, "I think he’s truthful. I think you can depend on his word."

The reporter asked again if he had ever lied in his entire life.

His mother said, "Well, I guess maybe he’s told some little white lies."

"Ah, see there!" the reporter exclaimed. "He’s lied! If he told even one white lie, he has lied." The reporter was still not satisfied and asked, "What is a white lie?"

And Lillian Carter replied, "It’s like a moment ago when you knocked on the door and I came to the door and said I was glad to see you."

Wow! Isn’t that something? Lillian Carter is still involved in her son’s life - still standing up for her son. She was till involved in her son’s life.

Second, be aware of your child’s potential. When the wine suddenly ran out, Mary went to Jesus because she knew He could do something about it. In reading this story, you get the definite impression that if she hadn’t mentioned this need to Jesus, the water wouldn’t have been changed to wine, because no one else records that He performed this miracle. Notice what John says in verse 11, "This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus’ first display of His glory. And His disciples believed in Him." Mary was the first to recognize His potential.

Now sometimes parents get this wrong - this helping your child reach his/her potential.

My mom thought I had potential as a piano player, so for nearly 5 years I went to weekly piano lessons to try to awaken that talent/that potential. But you know what - it never awakened.

My dad thought I had potential as a baseball player. So he signed me up for little league where I didn’t stand out as being a major talent on our team.

Though I never became a pianist and never became even an average baseball player, Mom and Dad exposing me to these things allowed me in hindsight to value and appreciate music and musicians and athletes and various disciplines that are needed to become good at them.

They knew life was more than waking up, eating, going to school, doing homework and sleeping. They knew my life had abilities beyond this normal structure. That I had potential in other things beyond school so they:

exposed me to them.

suffered with me through them.

encouraged me through them.

believed in me through them.

That’s what a child needs parents, who will expose their children to dreams and wishes and then stick with their child no matter the outcome.

Such things help children have the courage to reach out and pursue great things to live into their potential.

Rochester, MN --Mentally Handicapped boy story . . .

I don’t know that man’s story - but could it be that his Mom believed in him, saw his potential?

What can we learn from Mary?

1st - She was involved in her child’s life.

2nd - She saw his potential - believed in him.

3rd - Be willing to let your children do things themselves. Mary told Jesus about the situation regarding the wine. She told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Then she stepped out of the picture and let Jesus solve the problem as He saw fit.