INTRO.- Mothers. What can we say about them? Everything good and nothing bad.
ILL.- Eight-year-old Mary wrote her mother a note for Mother’s Day. "Dear Mother, here is the box of candy I bought you for Mother’s Day. IT IS VERY GOOD CANDY. I KNOW, BECAUSE I ALREADY AT 3 PIECES."
ILL.- Eight-year-old Carol also wrote her mother said, "DEAR MOTHER, HERE ARE 2 ASPIRINS. HAVE A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY."
ILL.- Six-year-old Johnny and his four-year-old sister Suzy presented their mom with a Mother’s Day present; a small, spindly house plant. While it wasn’t the finest looking specimen, they had bought it with their own money and Mom was thrilled. She hugged and kissed her children and told them she loved them for thinking of her.
Johnny said, "There was some other flowers we wanted to buy for you, Mom, but we didn’t have enough money." "Yeah," said sister Suzy, "they had a real nice bunch of flowers at the shop that we were going to buy."
"But I love this plant," said the happy mother. "I know, Mom," said Johnny, "but these flowers would have been perfect for you. They were in a wreath and they had a ribbon that said ’REST IN PEACE’ on it AND YOU’RE ALWAYS ASKING FOR A LITTLE PEACE SO YOU CAN REST."
ILL.- A school teacher gave her class of second-graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day the teacher asked her students this question: "My name has six letters. The first one is ’m.’ I pick up things. What am I?"
When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was surprised to find that almost 50% of the students answered the question with the word "mother."
YES, MOTHERS DO PICK UP THINGS. Yes, they do pick up after their children and often, after their husbands.
But mothers are more than just "magnets," picking up after everyone in the house. They are many things.
PROP.- From Proverbs 31 I want to mention some things that mothers are or mothers do in order to honor them today.
1- Her hands work
2- Her mouth speaks
3- Her heart loves
I. HER HANDS WORK
ILL.- A boy got his first job. As he was boasting about the amount of work he did, he said, "I get up at 5 a.m. and have my breakfast." He was asked, "Does anyone else get up too?" He replied, "Oh yes, mother gets up and fixes my breakfast and then fixes dadâs breakfast."
"And what about your dinner?" The boy said, "Oh, mother, fixes that too."
"Does your mother have the afternoon to herself?" The boy replied, "No, mama cleans the house, looks after the other children, and then gets supper for me and dad when we come home. Then we watch TV before we go to bed."
"What about your mother? What does she do?" The boy replied, "Mama washes some clothes and irons the rest of the evening."
"Do you get paid?" "Of course, Dad and I get paid."
"And what about your mother, does she get paid too?"
The boy replied, "MOTHER, GET PAID?! MOTHER DON’T GET PAID. SHE DON’T DO NO WORK."
If anyone here today believes that moms don’t work, I would suggest that you’d better keep your mouth shut.
In this text, we see that mothers do all kinds of work.
- She sews v. 13, 19, 22 "She selects wool...and works with eager hands."
- She shops v. 14 "bringing her food from afar."
- She cooks v. 15 "She provides food for her family..."
- She gardens v. 16 "She plants a vineyard..."
Our text also says that mothers v. 15 "get up while it is still dark" to prepare food. And v. 18 "her lamp does not go out at night."
WHAT’S THAT OLD SAYING, "Man works from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done."
v. 27 "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread idleness." She isn’t lazy.
ILL.- MAMA’S MAMA
Mama’s mama, on a winter’s day,
Milked the cows, and fed them hay.
Slopped the hogs, saddled the mule,
And got the children off to school.
Did a washing, mopped the floors,
Washed the windows and did some chores.
Cooked a dish of home-dried fruit,
Pressed her husband’s Sunday suit.
Swept the parlor, made the bed,
Baked a dozen loaves of bread.
Split some firewood, and lugged it in,
Enough to fill the kitchen bin.
Cleaned the lamps and put in oil,
Stewed some apples she thought might spoil.
Churned the butter, baked a cake,
Then exclaimed, "For mercy’s sake
"The calves have got out of the pen!"
Went out and chased them in again.
Gathered the eggs and locked the stables,
Returned to the house and set the table.
Cooked a supper that was delicious,
And afterwards washed all the dishes.
Fed the cat, sprinkled the clothes,
Mended a basket full of hose.
Then opened the organ and began to play,
"When you come to the end of a perfect day."
God bless you, mothers, for all your hard work over the years!
1- Her hands work
II. HER MOUTH SPEAKS
v. 26 "She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue."
ILL.- When Preacher John Wesley was a student at Oxford Unversity, he was shocked by the amount of drinking done by the students. (Wonder what he would think about college students today?)
After writing to his mother, Susanna Wesley, for her counsel, he received the following words: "My dear son: remember that anything which increases the authority of the body over the mind is an evil thing."
Great instruction! And I’m sure that Susanna Wesley said a lot of other good words of wisdom to her children.
ILL.- Preacher G. Campbell Morgan had four sons and they all became ministers of the gospel. At a family reunion, a friend asked one of the sons, "Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?"
While that son looked at his father, he replied, "MOTHER."
Mother was the greatest preacher. Many mothers have done a lot of preaching to their children, whether they considered it preaching or not.
ILL.- Mama always said.... What did Mama always say? For most of us, mama said a lot and generally, it was for our own good.
What did your mama always say that was good? Care to share with us? Words like "Mind your manners," etc.
ILL.- Ron Doerge of Lake Egypt, IL, said these words of his mother: "My mother is Ruth Doerge of Chester. She is 93 years old and mentally sharp as she has ever been. If we had classes in schools on ’How to be a parent,’ I would nominate my mother to teach the class. She has always been there for my sister and me, in both thick and thin. She doesn’t hesitate to advise us, and her thoughts are always on target. Rarely do I find myself not agreeing with her suggestions, BUT ALWAYS HOLD HER WORDS OF WISDOM IN HIGH REGARD..."
ILL.- Another lady from Carbondale, IL, said of her 90 year old mother, "After I married, she continued to help with whatever need I had, from sewing beautiful holiday outfits, to cooking and occasional house cleaning and babysitting. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY COUNSELOR AND FRIEND. This lovely lady just celebrated her 90th birthday. I admire her so much and am proud she is my mother."
My counselor and friend.
V. 26 "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."
1- Her hands work
2- Her mouth speaks
III. HER HEART LOVES
V. 11-12 "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."
If a husband has full or complete confidence in his wife, then you know that she is a woman who loves her man.
ILL.- An epitaph on his wife’s tombstone written by her husband after 60 years of marriage, read, "SHE ALWAYS MADE HOME HAPPY."
She was apparently a woman who did her husband good all the days of their marriage.
ILL.- A grandmother was tellling her granddaughter goodnight when the little girl said, "Mommy and daddy are entertaining some very important people downstairs."
"You’re right," grandma agreed, "BUT HOW DID YOU KNOW?"
"JUST LISTEN," the little granddaughter said, "MOMMY IS LAUGHING AT ALL OF DADDY’S JOKES."
Brethren, where there is a lot of laughter in a home, you just know that something good is happening in that home! AND, OF COURSE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE LAUGHTER IN THE HOME.
Prov. 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine..."
When there is a lot of laughter in a home, someone is putting out some good medicine. AND IT ALSO SHOWS A LOT OF LOVE.
ILL.- A teacher at school put this question to little James in math class, "James, suppose your mother made a cherry pie, and there were ten of you at the table: your mother and father and eight children. How much of the pie would you get?"
"A ninth," was his answer. "No, no, James. Now pay attention. There are ten of you in the home. Don’t you know your fractions?"
"Yes, maam," he replied, "I know my fractions, but I know my mother even better, AND SHE’D SAY THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT ANY PIE."
The unselfishness of a mother shows a heart of love for her family. And all of us can remember many unselfish acts of devotion our mamas made to our homes.
ILL.- One lady from Murphysboro, IL, said of her mother, "Being a single working mother, mom always put our wants and needs beyond her own. After a painful divorce, she remarried after 12 years. They lived three beautiful years together until he had a massive stoke, leaving him paralyzed and unable to speak. Refusing to admit him to a nursing home, she stopped working and cared for him around the clock until last year, when he passed on. Struggling to get over her own grief, she hung on to life, still finding time to care and give attention to those around her..." I’d say that mother had a heart of love!
ILL.- Some grown children said of their mother: "Mom has 5 daughters, one son, six grandchildren and several sons-in-law that converge on momâs at any given holiday to be with mom. She comforts, stops fights, loans money and loves us all unfailing..."
1- Her hands work
2- Her mouth speaks
3- Her heart loves.
CONCLUSION------------------------------------------
ILL.- MOTHERS ARE...
Blowers of noses and washers of ears,
Smoothers of bumped spots and wipers of tears.
Scrubbers of dishes and wielders of mops,
Grandmas for dollies and winders of tops.
Bathers of babies and umpires of spats,
Finders of rubbers, mittens and hats.
Helpers with lessons and makers of beds,
Shakers of dustclothes and combers of heads.
Button-sew-oners and winders of clocks,
Menders of dresses and darners of socks.
Tellers of stories and readers of books,
Judges and juries of conduct and looks.
Doctors for heartaches and hearers of prayers,
Generals, directing all family affairs.
Tenders of home fires and builders of men,
Oh, for the gift of an adequate pen!
Brethren, there is no adequate pen nor adequate words to express how much we owe our mothers for their hard work, good words, and loving deeds.
GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY, MOTHERS!
