Base Camp Series: Mother's Day

Base Camp Series

The Base Camp of Motherhood

May 13, 2018

Before we get started with the text for this Mother’s Day, I have a couple stories to share about some moms with their kids:

One pastor shared that in our first church, my wife, Lori, and I found we were going to have a third child." "Several weeks later, my wife was going through her clothes, which no longer fit. Watching her, our 5-year-old son asked, ‘Mom, now that you're going to have a baby, are you going to have to wear 'eternity' clothes?'" (Source: Bill McKibben, Woodlake, California)

Eternity clothes? Yes, it seemed that way at the time!

Illustration: One mother in the church put her son to bed on the eve of his fifth birthday. She was trying to communicate that birthday idea to him. "Kevin," she said, "this is the last night of your fourth night. Do you understand that?" Kevin was ready to communicate with his hands. For a full year, he had shown people four fingers for his four years, and now he was ready to add a thumb. Seeing his four fingers, his mother nodded and said: "When you go to sleep tonight, you'll still be 4-years-old. But do you know how old you'll be in the morning when you wake up?" Kevin nodded enthusiastically, added his thumb to his four little fingers and said, "Tomorrow, I'll be a handful!"

Let me tell you during the past decade or two as a pastor I’ve struggled with what to do for Mother’s Day. The day can be associated with a lot of pain for those struggling with infertility, miscarriage, the death of a mother, or relational estrangement from a mother. Do I really want to have people come to worship to hear the good news and reopen all of their wounds because of a Hallmark holiday?

At the same time, motherhood is a high calling of which the Bible speaks in glowing terms. While the day might not be part of what we would call the church calendar, this cultural celebration offers great opportunities to celebrate the gift of motherhood. Go with me to our text this morning:

Prov 31:10-20 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.  11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while

it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.  19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.  27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. NIV

Note that Mother scale mountains because the text reveals that they deal with….

I.               The mountain of Toil (Proverbs 31:17-18,27) 17 She sets about her work vigorously; 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.  27 … and does not eat the bread of idleness.

At the outset, lets be clear that this proverb is stating the ideal in a prose form. It is the ideal not necessarily the reality. In stating the ideal it does reveal the principles of what mothers do and go through, that is a seemingly endless and vigorous toil to keep the home front working!

a.    Works Vigorously (v.17)

To climb the mountain of motherhood takes vigorous effort. Consider…

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

A new study says if you add up the time the average working mom spends at her paid position and her duty at home, it totals to 98 hours per week, according to a new study commissioned by Welch's Grape Fruit Juice. That's equal to, if not more than, two full-time positions.

The study of 2,000 American mothers with kids between five and 12 years old found that the average mother "clocks in" at 6:23 a.m. and "clocks out" at 8:31 p.m., for an average workday of 14 hours. Four-in-ten moms surveyed said the week felt like a never-ending series of tasks to complete.

The research was part of an opt-in survey for moms of children ages 5-12 and was conducted between May 05, 2017, and May 11, 2017, by Market Researchers OnePoll under Welch's nutrition programs. http://abc7.com/family/study-average-working-mom-works-98-hours-a-week/2269126/

 Not only vigorous work about also…

b.     Works Endlessly (v .18,27)

No wonder it’s difficult to find that appropriate, special gift on Mother’s Day!

Next notice that Mother scales mountains because the text reveals that they deal with….

II.              The mountain of Tutoring (Proverbs 31:26) 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

a.     Words of Wisdom (v.26)

Wisdom is insight, perception. Some might call it a mother’s intuition!

Somehow mothers can usually know when there is something wrong with her children. I remember the time when our boys were camping out in the backyard with some of the neighborhood kids. It had gotten dark outside as the evening had progressed along. Just about the time I was about to retire to bed for the evening. Elke said to me, honey there is something wrong you need to go check on the boys. My response was honey your just being a little too motherly, their probably fine. But she was having none of me putting out her instincts and kept pressing me to go out and check. Well because of her insight I arrived just at the right time to hear the plots and plans that would have led to a load of trouble and it was head off at the pass!

Because of the wisdom or perception, some have wonder if moms don’t x-ray vision as well as infrared or night vision. 

                        Mothers also have the monumental task of ….

b.     Words of Instruction (v.26) and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

·      The family is God basic school training for teaching and molding the character of children. Listen to Proverbs 1:8-9

    

Prov 1:8-9 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. NIV

The father is the instructor – Mother is the teacher and so the family is the school. What a mountain of tutoring – training and instructing mom has to scale. The following video says it so well, take a look…

And finally, the text shows us we need to honor mothers because of….

III.            The mountain of Tenderness (Proverbs 31:21, 27) 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

The tenderness of a mother is seen in the bond of a mother to her child. She will risk life and limb to protect and care for her children.

·      Like a Mommy Bear and her cubs

·      Elephant with her calf

a.     Watches over the needs of the family (v.21)

This proverb speaks of this tender bond as ‘watching over the needs of the family and the affairs of the house.

b.     Watches over the affairs of the house (v.27)

To have a tender heart means that the heart is easily touched by the events and

circumstances of life. It means to have a heart that is moved and motivated by

compassion and empathy. Because her heart is tender it can easily be crushed when the family, children are at risk.

Tenderness of heart is both and blessing and burden, a mountain mothers readily and willing scale.

Conclusion:

Pray a prayer of blessing over every mother today

Pray especially for those moms with a broken heart

Pray for those who are trusting God for her children to come home to the Lord