Are You My Mother

Are you my mother?

Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ

May 12, 2002

Have you heard about the next Survivor show they have planned?

Six men will be dropped off on an island with 1 van and 4 kids for 6 weeks. Each kid plays two sports and takes music or dance lessons. There’s no access to fast food. Each man must take care of his 4 kids, keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, and do laundry.

The men have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done. But there’s only one TV between them and no remote control.

They must be able to get a four year old to eat green beans. The men must shave their legs and wear makeup daily, which they must apply themselves while driving or while making lunches.

They’ll be judged on how well they can make an Indian hut model with six toothpicks, a tortilla and one magic marker. The winner gets voted off of the island and gets his old job back!

Today we pay honor to all those ladies who know that being a mom is an adventure, where you not only survive, but thrive. God has blessed them with children. What an awesome responsibility. The Bible describes this virtuous mother and wife in Proverbs 31.

Peggy Wehmyer, Religion Correspondent for ABC News says, “A Positive mom is the most powerful weapon against the culture of despair and cynicism that assaults our children.”

For some of you this is a difficult weekend, it’s tough for you to come to church, you’ve prayed for a child but God’s answer has seemed to be no, or maybe you’ve experienced the pain of losing your mom or a child, and the memories are all consuming on a day like today. Maybe years ago you chose to end a pregnancy and Satan haunts you over something that you’ve repented of and that God has forgiven. Others of you just feel inadequate. Others are presently feeling incredible fulfillment from being a mom. Today I want to encourage all of you and remind the rest of us, of how important moms are.

Pouring your life into your children is a worthy calling.

The Washington Times reported on a recent survey released last year by the nonpartisan public policy group Public Agenda, which revealed that 80 percent of mothers between the ages of 18 and 29 would rather stay home and take care of their children than work full time. (quoted in Focus on the Family’s Citizen Issues Alert, 10/24/00)

Many single moms would give anything in the world to be able to stay home with their children, but it’s just not possible. However, when a mom is able to make that decision to dedicate her life to the home front, we ought to celebrate her as a champion of family values.

Susie Case was a Harvard Business School Graduate who worked on Wall Street as an Equity Analyst who followed computer stocks. She left her job in 1989 to start a family, saying that her relationship with God and her family had to take a priority.

She admitted, "It’s hard for me to go to Harvard reunions because I worry that [my classmates] think I squandered the exceptional opportunity I had."

But then she said this: "However, the sacrifices are worth it because relationships without regret are my best investment."

Relationships without regret! Moms who take good care of their families, whether they work outside the home or not, ought to be celebrated for the nurturing environment they provide.

Some of you have heard of Tony Campolo. Tony has spent much of his life traveling around the world speaking at Christian gatherings. His wife, Peggy, stayed at home and chose to pour her life into raising their two children, Bart and Lisa. Years ago when Peggy Campolo would occasionally travel with Tony, she found herself in conversations with some of the most powerful, impressive, sophisticated women in the world. Sometimes she would feel intimidated and question her own self worth.

Tony said to her, "Honey, why don’t you think of something you can say when you meet people, so they’ll know that you value what you’re doing and you think it’s important?"

Not long thereafter, they were at a party. A woman said to Peggy in a rather condescending tone, "And, dear what is it that you do?" Tony said he heard his wife respond, "I am nurturing two Homo Sapiens into the dominant value of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might become instruments of social transformation to turn the earth into the eschatological utopia which God has envisioned from the beginning of time. What do you do?"

The woman replied, "I’m just a physicist. I’m just trying to discover a cure for cancer."