The Ministry Of Motherhood

MOTHER’S DAY 2010

“THE MINISTRY OF MOTHERHOOD”

TITUS 2:1-5

OPEN

Several years ago, 600 college students were asked to write down the most beautiful word in the English language. 422 of them (over 70%) wrote the word “mother”. Today is the day that we honor our mothers. Motherhood is not easy. Womanhood is not easy. There might be women here today whose marriages are failing or have failed. Some of you might have faced miscarriages or even had abortions. Some of you might be thinking of prodigal children in their own “far country.” Some of you might be lonely and others who are extremely fulfilled in their relationships with their husbands and children. Know that God loves you and so do we.

Not too long ago, a group of second-graders gave their answers to these questions concerning mothers:

Question One: Why did God make mothers? 1. She's the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house. 3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

Question Two: How did God make mothers? 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 2. Magic plus

super powers and a lot of stirring. 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger

parts.

Question Three: What ingredients are mothers made of? 1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean. 2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Question Four: Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 1. We're related. 2. God

knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

Question Five: What kind of a little girl was your mom? 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of

that other stuff. 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. 3. They say she used to be nice.

Question Six: What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 1. His last name. 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? 3. Does he make at least $800 a

year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Question Seven: Why did your mom marry your dad? 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot. 2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Question Eight: Who's the boss at your house? 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because

dad's such a goof ball. 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 3. I guess

mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

Question Nine: What's the difference between moms and dads? 1. Moms work at work and work at home

and dads just go to work at work. 2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 3. Dads are

taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over

at your friends. 4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

Question Ten: What does your mom do in her spare time? 1. Mothers don't do spare time. 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

Question Eleven: What would it take to make your mom perfect? 1. On the inside she's already perfect.

Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery. 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

Question Twelve: If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. 2. I'd make my mom smarter.. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me. 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

This mornings message is about the ministry of motherhood. Norman Bales in All About Families said, “The Mom Ministry is one of the toughest assignements God ever gave anybody. She’s got to be as insightful as a psychologist, tough as a Marine Corps drill instructor, and gentle as a nurse. She’s got to be a labor and management negotiator, a teacher, an electrician, a plumber, and a carpenter. It requires and endless supply of energy, a massive amount of patience, an iron will, and a recognition of the fact that if she gets sick, she’s got to get well before the end of the school day.”