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Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is
far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he
shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of
her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She
is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also
while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her
maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she
planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her
arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:
her candle goeth not out by night. She
layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth
out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is
not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings
of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her
husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She
maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth
girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are
her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with
wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of
idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done
virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is
deceitful, and beauty is
vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her
of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the
gates.
~Proverbs 31
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My Mother Knew It: A Portrait Of A Loving Mother
In
It was President David O. McKay who once said, "Motherhood is the greatest potential influence for good or ill in human life. The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. . . . She who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters. . . . deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God.
My mother was a very special person to me. Not only was she my mother, but she was also a very dear and true friend. For 38 and a half wonderful years we shared a very special and unique relationship as mother and son. We shared joy and laughter, heartaches and tears, good times and not so good times. We talked about our dreams and hopes for brighter tomorrows. Together we enjoyed the blessings of life itself.
On
My mother played many significant roles in my life. She was my doctor and nurse when I was ill. She was my lawyer when I found myself in difficult situations, always defending me to the end. She was my counselor, always offering words of advice and comfort. She was my first Sunday school teacher. At an early age she taught me to have a deep and sincere love for the Word of God. She was the first to teach me of the love that my Savior has for me and that I should show my love for Him by being obedient to His commandments.
There were always several copies of the Bible in our home and my mother enjoyed reading the Scriptures on a daily basis. The last gift that I ever gave her was a study Bible that she asked for while we were visiting a Christian bookstore. She read and studied from that Bible daily and took it to Church with her when she was able to attend. I now have that Bible and several of the other Bibles that my mother read and studied from in my library at home, complete with all of her handwritten notes and bookmarks just as she had left them. When she was too sick or weak to read the Scriptures for herself, she would have my younger sister read the Scriptures to her or listen to them on cassette tape or CD. No matter what the case, the Scriptures were a part of her daily life.
It was President Abraham Lincoln who once said, "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." I am inclined to agree with him. Mothers are indeed remarkable people and they have more of an influence on their children's lives then they may ever realize. They are truly the heartbeat of the home. I am eternally grateful for the influence that my mother had on my life. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Men are what their mothers made them." If that is true, and I believe it is, than I owe a sincere debt of gratitude to my loving mother who was instrumental in molding and shaping me into the person that I am today. She was my very first school teacher in the school of life. There are so many things that she taught me, some of which I no doubt took for granted when I was growing up , but now as an adult, I can look back and understand more fully the things that she was trying to teach me and with a heart full of love I can say, "thank you mom for everything."
I would like to share with you seven of those life lessons that my mother taught me.
Lesson
#1 : Seek ye first the
In
Matthew
Throughout her humble life my mother never owned a lot
of worldly possessions. She realized that happiness was not based on the
abundance of things that a person possesses. She realized that the richest
people on earth are not necessarily those with expensive houses, fancy
cars, or bank accounts that are large enough to afford them the
opportunity to have almost anything that they desire. Rather, the richest
people on earth are those who fix their focus on the goal of some day
returning to their Father in Heaven to hear Him say, Well done thou good
and faithful servant. My mother realized that the richest people on earth
are the ones whose treasures are laid up for them in Heaven. She realized
that if she kept her focus towards Heaven, one day she would have more
than she could have ever desired here on earth. I believe that she fully
understood the words that we read in Matthew 6:19 - 21, "Lay not up
for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do
not break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also."
Lesson
#2 :
In everything give thanks My mother was not a complainer. She learned to be
content in whatever situation she found herself in and would often make
mention of the fact that things could be worse. Even during her illness
she never complained but rather took time each day to thank our Heavenly
Father for allowing her to see one more day. She realized that no matter
how bad we may think our situations or circumstances are, there is always
someone, somewhere, who is a lot worse off than we are. My mother believed
that instead of complaining about every little thing, we should take more
time to thank our Heavenly Father for the many blessings that he has
bestowed upon us. She also realized and taught her children well to not
only be thankful for the large blessings that we obtain but be thankful
for the small ones as well. In everything give thanks. Lesson #3 : Ye are the
light of the world I can remember my mother saying on occasion that first
impressions make lasting impressions. She taught her children that most of
the time, the way that someone perceives you when they first meet you is
the image that will stick with them. We tell a lot about ourselves by the
way that we present ourselves. If the first impression that someone gets
about us is that we are egotistical and self-centered, they may have a
tendency to want to avoid us. If on the other hand, the first impression
that someone gets about us is that we are genuine, friendly and down to
earth, they will tend to want to be friends with us and take an interest
in the things that we do. My mother found this to be especially true in her own daily life and always made an effort to make a good lasting impression on all whom she would meet. In fact, because of the life that she lived and because of the example that she set, even her co-workers would lovingly refer to her as Mom whenever they would see her. In her humble efforts to live a life that was pleasing unto the Lord, she understood that she might have been the only Scriptures that some people would ever read. And so her desire was to paint a loving portrait of the Savior through the life that she lived for she fully understood the words of Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." It is because of my mother's loving example that I make an effort in my daily life to let my light so shine before men that they may see the light of Christ through me. Lesson #4: Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you
Throughout her humble life my mother always tried to give everyone that she would come in contact with the respect that she felt was due to them. Her genuine love for people was not based on such seemingly important things as age, color of skin, religious beliefs, or national origin. As far as she was concerned each individual was a person of worth - a special son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. She always had a kind word to say to everyone she met for she truly understood the meaning behind the words of 1 John 4:11: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Even if someone would hurt her in some way either through words or deeds, she would always continue to love that person or persons just the same. I can never recall a time when my mother ever said that she hated someone for the things that they had done. She believed that if you do not want people to hate you, then you must not hate them. If you want people to love you, then you must show love and kindness towards them. The summation of the matter is that we should treat others the same way that we would like them to treat us. If we would but adhere to this important lesson and take it to heart, we would find that our relationships with our fellowman would be full of joy, peace, and happiness.
Lesson #5 :Lean not unto your own
understanding
In the highly technological society in which we live,
it sometimes becomes extremely easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day
routine of things that we lose focus of what is really important and what
is not. Everyone seems to be tremendously busy these days. There is always
a plane to catch, a class to get to, a report to finish, another meeting
to attend, and on and on our To Do lists continue to grow. Before long, if
we are not careful, our To Do lists begin to control us instead of us
controlling them. As a result we often times become frustrated and can not
understand why we never seem to accomplish all of the things that we wish
to accomplish. I personally believe that the reason we become so
frustrated is because our priorities are not in order. Those things that
we should focus on the most, we focus on the least. We attempt to solve
all of our own problems, our own way, only to find that our way is not
necessarily the best way. I know in my own personal live that whenever I
try to do things my way and according to my agenda, I often miss the mark.
I lose focus of the big picture.
We are taught in Proverbs 3:5-6 to "Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all
thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I have learned
that whenever I align my priorities with the teachings of the Scriptures
and learn to do things God's way instead of my own way, I am able to
accomplish more and in less time. I have also learned that I don't need to
understand the why behind everything that happens in life. All I need to
do is trust in the Lord and acknowledge Him in all things and He will
direct my footsteps along life's pathways. |
Lesson #6 : Do justly and love mercy
My mother taught her children that they should always
show kindness toward everyone that they meet along life's pathways. She
also taught her children to have just and fair dealings with all men. We
are never to take advantage of people for our own personal gain, but we
are to treat everyone with fairness and equality. Along with that, she
taught her children to have love and compassion for their fellowman. We
are to be willing to help those in need. We are never to be judgmental of
other people, but rather we should try walking a mile in their shoes
before making any rash decisions about their character. She taught her
children to always be merciful and understanding just as our Father in
Heaven is merciful and understanding toward us. Lesson #7
: Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord One final lesson that I wish to share that my mother taught her children is to never think more highly of yourself than you ought. We should never become boastful or proud. We should remember the words found in Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." We should never place ourselves on a pedestal thinking that we are better than others. Nor should we brag about our accomplishments and achievements in life but rather, we should always be mindful of the words we read in Proverbs 27:2: "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." And above all, we are to remember to "Humble yourslves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." (James 4:10).
My mother's favorite Bible verses were Psalm 37:1-9.
These verses put all seven of these life lessons into one nice neat little
package. We read:
1FRET not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou
envious against the workers of iniquity.
2
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green
herb.
3
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
so shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed. 4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart.
5
Commit thy way unto
the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring
it to pass. 6
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked
devices to pass.
8
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do
evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
And now may I give a few words of counsel to all of
the young people under the sound of my voice this day. To the sons and
daughters, to the youth of
To all the mothers present here today, it is my
sincere heartfelt prayer that the Lord will bless you and sustain you. May
you be blessed with a Mother's Day that is full of love and joy. May our Heavenly Father's choicest
blessings always be yours. May He grant you the wisdom and discernment
that you need today and in the days ahead to be the Mothers that He has
called you to be. And, it is also my prayer, that your sons and daughters
may now and forevermore arise to call you blessed. In the Sacred name of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
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Webster's
dictionary defines the word witness as a person who has observed a certain
event; a person who testifies to this observation. The word testimony is
defined as evidence; an oral or written statement made under oath.
Throughout her humble life my mother witnessed many events and was a
living testimony of the fact that God is still God in spite of how a
situation may appear. Even during her illness her testimony remained true
and her daily prayer was "Jesus, comfort my heart's desire to work and
speak and think for thee, that others may see Christ in me". When so many
others may have just given up, my mother held on to the blessed promises
of God's infallible Word realizing the fact that "God is good all the
time, and all the time God is good". There are so many people under the misconception that in order to be a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ you have to brow beat people with the Scriptures. They see every situation in life as an opportunity to impress people with their limited knowledge of the Scriptures by quoting partial Scriptures (often out of context) or by preaching a sermon that only falls on deaf ears because the person or persons being preached to realizes that the messenger does not live up to the words of his or her own message. The truth of the matter is, the Lord is not looking for people who only have lip service to offer, but rather He is looking for people who are genuine. The Lord is looking for people whose hearts are pure and who love Him with all of their heart, with all of their soul, with all of their strength, and with their entire mind. My mother's heart desire was to be the person that God would have her to be. She did not have to quote Scriptures or preach sermons to people whose paths she crossed, but she allowed the life that she lived to be a "living testimony." She fully understood the true meaning behind the Scriptures found in Matthew 5:14-16: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven". Because of the life that she lived and the example that she strived to set, my mother gained the unmerited favor and respect of those that she met along life's way. In fact, she was so much admired and respected by her co-workers that they would lovingly refer to her as "Mom" whenever they would see her. The life that she lived was definitely a reflection of the type of person that she was. No matter where she would be, she never changed. She did not practice one type of behavior in public and another type of behavior in private. One thing that I can definitely say about her is that she was consistent. Through the example of her remarkable life, I have come to understand what it is to be a "living testimony". I thank God for blessing me with this one so dear and I sincerely realize that in all the world there will never be another exactly like my mother. She was not only my mother but a very daer and true friend. I love her and I miss her very much. Her testimony lives on. M-O-T-H-E-R "M" is for the million things she gave me, "O" means only that she's growing old, "T" is for the tears she shed to save me, "H" is for her heart of purest gold; "E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining, "R" means right, and right she'll always be, Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER," A word that means the world to me. --Howard Johnson (c. 1915) |
