Mothers In Tight Situations Series

Mothers in Tight Situations

(topical)

1. Contemplating motherhood can makes some of us sentimental:

A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed a little old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.

"Pardon me, sonny" she said, "I’m sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that you look just like my son, who I haven’t seen in a long time."

"That’s a shame," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes," she said, "as I’m leaving, can you say ’Good bye, Mother!’ It would make me feel so much better."

"Sure," answered the young man. As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Good bye, Mother!" She waved and blew him a kiss.

As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50. "How can that be?" he asked, "I only purchased a few things!"

"Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.

Many mothers are blessed with families that resemble the Cleavers on Leave It To Beaver; but many – perhaps most mothers – must face tough challenges.

[source: www.getamused.com, altered]

2. Not all little old ladies are sweet; not all mothers are wonderful. Some of you had awful mothers, and you have my sympathies. It can be hard for you to hear motherhood equated with angelic behavior when that was not your experience. So please bear with the rest of who have been blessed with amazing mothers. We celebrate our mothers, yet we do so with awareness that our lot may have been far different from yours.

3. Today, I would like to challenge our mothers, grandmothers, and future mothers by helping us appreciate some of the diverse challenges of motherhood. Many modern mothers are not in a Leave It To Beaver family, and this is far from a Leave It To Beaver world. But it always has been.

Main Idea: No matter what challenges you face, you can face them in a godly way.

I. Hagar: A SINGLE Mom Completely Deserted (Genesis 21:8-21)

A. Tell the story of Hagar from the beginning

B. Hagar represents single moms who must struggle and trust God in unique ways

C. Ishmeal became a mighty man and father of the Arabs

II. Rebekah Who DISLIKED Her Daughter-in-Law (Genesis 26:34, 36:2)

A. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau

B. Some of you were serious about you faith, but your children are not

C. Some of you may have seen or will see you children make poor choices

D. You must do what they did, make the best of it…

III. Deborah, Who SHARED Her Mothering Skills to Bless Others (Judges 5:7)

A. Canaanites oppressing Israel, Deborah a judge

B. She works with Barak, he raises army under her tutorship

C. He refuses to go to war without here presence; she offered the security of a mother

Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.

D. Most people appreciated mother-like figures in their lives:

Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

E. Some of you women offer mother-like support to those beyond your family

IV. Abigail, Married to a FOOL (I Samuel 25)

A. Abigail was married to a loser guy by the name of Nabal

B. David and his army coming through…

V. Bathsheba: The Mother With A PAST (I Kings 1)

A. A married women, husband off at war, called in by King David

B. She becomes pregnant by David, husband killed to hush up…

C. She later gives birth to Solomon, David promises he would be king

D. Adonijah tries to have himself declared king, leaders behind him…

E. Because your past is hazy doesn’t mean you stop looking out for your kids…

VI. Lois: The Godly Jewish Mother Married to a GREEK (2 Timothy 1:5)

A. We do not know how Lois found herself married to a pagan Greek…

B. Timothy born; not raised as a full Jew, but taught by mother/grandmother

VII. Priscilla: A Godly Woman in a GODLY Marriage ( Acts 18:1-3, 24-26)

A. Priscilla and Aquila were a faithful Jewish couple

1. Recently evicted out of Rome

2. Were tent makers

3. Now in Corinth

B. Paul comes through and they believe

C. Latter, Apollos comes to town… Priscilla and Aquila are like parents to Apollos

CONCLUSION

1. Physical motherhood, emotional motherhood, and spiritual motherhood: all present their challenges.

2. But there is something in motherhood we all need; we all need to feel like others are looking out for us, care about us, and feel with us.

3. So today we salute all our moms, and we urge you to value your skills and believe that others need them … because they do!