My Mother
“10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”
Proverbs 31:10-31(KJV)
Intro: On Mother’s Day, many children will try to do something special for their mom’s
like give them a personal letter to express their love. Angie, 8 years old, wrote: "Dear Mother, I’m going to make dinner for you on Mother’s Day. It’s going to be a surprise. P.S. I hope you like popcorn."
Robert’s card said: "I got you a turtle for Mother’s Day. I hope you like it better than the snake I got you last year."
Eileen said: "Dear Mother, I wish Mother’s Day wasn’t always on Sunday. It would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn’t have to go to school."
Little Diane wrote: "I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother’s Day.
I picked them myself when our neighbor Mr. Smith wasn’t looking."
And then there’s this one from Cindy: "Dear Mother, here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother’s Day!"
Each of these children appreciated their mother.
While their gifts weren’t exactly perfect,
they were trying, in their own way, to show their mother how much they loved her.
Here in Proverbs 31, we have a King who is trying to do the same thing.
Most of the time, when someone preaches on Proverbs 31…
they’ll skip over the first few verses like I did this morning.
They’ll read Proverbs 31:10 “10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
This famous section of Proverbs (that tells us about Godly mothers) actually starts with King Lemuel
repeating phrases of advice from his mother to him
* He was reciting the counsel that she had given to him when he was younger.
* He was repeating the things she felt he needed to know to be a good man.
It was her “burden” for him. She cared about how he lived his life.
She might have told him a few other things as he grew up, like…
• sit up straight
• brush your teeth
• eat your vegetables
• clean your room
BUT those didn’t make it into the bible.
Then King Lemuel goes on to describe what a noble/virtuous woman looks like,
and if you didn’t get it he is talking about his own mother.
No person is ever poor who has a loving mother.
My Mother Beatrice Irene Lee was born September 26th, 1927.
She was an amazing person.
She only went to the 8th grade, except to later get her G.E.D. as an adult.
She was a homemaker in the truest since.
She was a housewife.
She managed the home.
Not only did she help my five half brothers and sisters but she also raised seven children of her own.
She never traveled outside of Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee.
Yet she knew things about places around the world
because she had traveled there herself through the portal of reading.
Her reading educated her about facts and information
about people and places and things that I only learned about when in college.
She wrote 3 books. “The Mysteries Old Hattie, Reflections from Tarter Hollow, and Jumbled Dreams.”
Her knowledge of the Holy Bible was unmatched by anyone I have ever known.
All I had to do was say a few words and she instantly would quote the scripture and verse
and even tell me which side, left or right of the page of her Bible it was on.
Alzheimer’s and dementia robbed her of the last few years of her life.
There were moments when she was lucid
but mostly recalling memories of events that happened 20 and thirty years before.
But then she did not remember what she had done yesterday or if she had taken medication just an hour before.
She was a formidable person. Not in a scary way.
Just that she could be a little intimidating in her wisdom and her faith.
Despite all of her disadvantages in life she was quite remarkable.
Looking back on my childhood, I always had enough.
As your mother might have been known for,
My mom was great at making homemade biscuits, fried apple pies, and oatmeal candy.
If you were raised by parents who continually told you what a good person you are, who loved you,
who encouraged you, and supported you, and believed in you
by the age of three that impression was locked in and became part of who you are today.
You continue to be shaped by your family, relatives, boss, authority figures, friends.
The way we think is shaped by the people we are surrounded by and what we are constantly being told.
Proverbs 4:23 “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
I remember mom wearing an old straw hat.
One day her and dad came in from hunting ginseng. They each had a bread sack full.
Even back when I was a child that was worth about $300lb dried.
I remember other times Mom used an old cane fishing pole.
Me…, I liked my Zebco 33.
But with all the modern fishing gear I had…, mom always caught more fish.
I remember watching mom in church. She was an old fashion shouter.
The glory of God would shine upon her like I have only ever seen in a very few others.
The unmistakable presence of God.
You might not care much for, shouting in the Holy Spirit,
but every believer must be open to being filled with a love that comes from the Holy Spirit
that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit results in Godly love.
My mom had that love of Jesus in her heart.
It was an unconditional love.
Even though she was sometimes hurt by the words and actions and things her children said and did
she always loved them.
I remember talking with mom about things that I could never talk to anyone else about.
She did not offer a lot of answers.
She just mostly listened
and then encouraged
and prayed.
When my dad died in 1995 it was the hardest thing I had ever experienced.
The pain more severe than anything I had felt ever before.
My mom Beatrice Irene Lee passed away on the night of December 27th.
Her funeral was Friday December 30th 2011.
Like King Lemuel you too may want to honor your mother.
King Lemuel says that a virtuous woman is successful if…
“Her husband is respected at the city gate,
This is a woman who teaches her children about God.
She’s a woman who’s NOT satisfied if her son/daughter are just good at math/science.
She’s NOT satisfied if her children are ONLY successful in the business world.
Because until her children understand the value of God’s Will/ and His Word
- she knows that their success in this world will be empty.
Jesus said: “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36
There is church near Kansas, where you can see in a cement sidewalk the prints of two baby feet
with the toes pointing toward the Church.
20 years ago, when the sidewalk was being laid,
a mother got permission to stand her baby boy on the wet cement.
The tracks are seen today plainly. The Mother had wanted her little boy to start off right.
When my mother died I felt a great void had opened up.
An awareness that now both my dad and mom were gone.
An emptiness that I still feel.
Maybe you have recently lost your mother … and you are experiencing the pain of your loss.
Maybe you have lost a child … and your heart grieves on Mother’s Day.
Maybe you had difficulties with your Mother …
your Mother wasn’t the IDEAL Mother we like to preach about … and you have bad memories of your Mother.
Maybe you were never able to have children … and Mother’s Day isn’t a joyous occasion for you.
Maybe you never had a real mother … and were raised in a foster home, or by relatives.
Maybe you are a single Mom … and are struggling with being a good Mother to your children.
Mother’s Day is kind of a mixed bag.
Some have always had their mother and she is still living.
Your mother is a fine example: She loves you and you love her dearly.
Others come to Mothers day with a bit of fear and trembling.
This could be a day of grieving as you remember her,
how much you miss her,
how much you would like to see her again.
You may feel empty.
If you had a poor relationship with your mother, you may feel a bit guilty,
and wish somehow you could undo that.
But it may be too late.
We may have imperfect families here,
But here’s the good news: One day we’ll have a perfect family in heaven
We’ll live in a perfect place with a perfect Saviour
And with all our loved ones who have gone on before.
So until then hang in there.
Mothers! God’s power is with you.
He will help you as you mother your children.
If you are here and you are not a Christian mom, or not a Christian child,
the invitation of Jesus is to come to the altar and accept Him as your Savior.
You will hear Jesus say, I love you.
CLOSE: Some of the greatest men of our nation recognized the influence of their Godly mothers:
• Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, "All that I am I owe to my angel mother."
• George Washington said almost exactly the same thing: All that I am I owe to my mother
• General Douglas MacArthur said, "My sainted mother taught me devotion to God and a love of country which have ever sustained me. To her I yield anew a son's reverent thanks."
Just like King Lemuel praised his mother in Proverbs 31… Give thanks for your mother today.
