Mom...

I saw this first sign on someone's FB page...and couldn't resist saving it for Mothers' Day.

I smiled when I read it and the first thought that went through my mind was:

In a lot of homes, Mom rules.

Then I found this sign:

Since we "enjoy" having such signs, or at least smile when we see them, now is a good time to talk a bit about our role as mothers.

Proverbs 1:8 advises: Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. (NIV) And this verse follows this popular one: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (NIV) 

It's up to fathers to give general instructions. You know, just as God said about Abraham in Genesis 18:19 “I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” (NLT) Fathers direct then mothers help to "break it down" and teach the children. Fathers can & should also break it down too but we know that in a lot of homes, mothers spend more time with the children which gives them more opportunities for teachable moments.

So it is no wonder that these verses are in the first and last chapters of Proverbs and all through it too:

Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. (Prov 1:8 - The Message)

The sayings of King Lemuel, a prophetic revelation, 

used by his mother to discipline him.

(Prov 31:1 - God's Word Translation)

2 other men said: 

“The best academy - a mother's knee”*

and 
“Education commences at the mother's knee,

and every word spoken within hearsay of little children

tends toward the formation of character.”**

Children should be discipled and disciplined on Mum's knee (and also Dad's knee). It should be a place of comfort & correction. We must remember that: "Our children are not going to be just "our children" - they are going to be other people's husbands and wives and the parents of our grandchildren."*** Now see how many more people's future you have in your care. Just like Ann Landers said, we must always remember that: "It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings."

One fact of life is that: "Motherhood cannot finally be delegated. Breast-feeding may succumb to the bottle; cuddling, fondling, and pediatric visits may also be done by fathers...but when a child needs a mother to talk to, nobody else but a mother will do."** A key connection...

The reason is simple: "A mother understands what a child does not say."~Jewish proverb

The bottom line is: "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much."**** In fact, I know that nothing else you do matters - what is your legacy?

Wishing you a very Happy Mothers' Day - today and always because everyday is a "mother's day" to make an impact in her children's lives...so they are a blessing to and in many other lives.

The world is counting on you...and so is the Lord...don't let Him down. God bless you and yours.

Sources:
* James Russell Lowell
** Hosea Ballou
*** Mary S Calderone
****Erica Jong
***Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis