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My pastor-son just texted me to say he would be preaching on Mother's Day. Now normally I am hungry to hear him preach. He lives 4000 km away, and I don't get to see him much. Especially not this year with COVID-19 halting all travel. But besides all of that, hearing your own son preach just does a mother's heart good.
This time, however, there was this little "catch" in my spirit... Hum... Would he tell stories about me? Would he reveal to the world how I had so often failed him as a mother? Would he... And my return text to him went something like this: "Hum. Maybe that's one I should sit out..."
So just what is behind my hesitancy to hear my son preach a sermon on Mother’s Day?
I’m sure it's rooted in insecurity. The truth of the matter is, though I have always tried to be the best mom I knew how to be; I know there have been many times when I have not acted or reacted in a way that would make God -- or my boys -- proud of me. There were times when I disciplined in anger; times when I didn't see their needs as high enough priority; times when I didn't listen to them; times when I didn't take the effort to explain myself to them; times when I yelled; times when they didn't see me showing love to others; times when they witnessed my other many weaknesses...
If this sounds familiar, we all, as parents, must understand that we are human. There is no perfect mom -- or dad for that matter -- out there. As good as we all try to be, we all make mistakes.
I think the most important thing I ever did as a mom was to determine to pray for my kids. I prayed for them, I prayed over them, I prayed when they were being good, I prayed when they were being bad. I prayed for God to put them on the right path, and then I prayed for God to put them back on the right path when they slipped off. I prayed for God's Spirit to fill them, to direct them, to guide them, to grow them; I prayed for their future spouses, for their career paths, for their friends... And I know that sometimes this particular pastor-son wished I hadn't prayed so much... Especially when he had to wait until I finished to eat his breakfast!
What has been the result of my imperfect attempts at mothering, coupled with my prayers?
Both of my boys, and my daughter-in-law as well, are fervent followers of Christ Jesus... Maybe, in all my failed efforts to be a "good mom", I actually did one thing that was "right"... I prayed!
I want to put out an encouraging word to all of you moms -- and dads -- out there: As much as you want to be the perfect parent, you will make mistakes. But whatever you do, pray! Cover your kids in intercessory prayer, for if you do, in the end, they will turn out okay. Hasn't God promised: "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6 NKJV)?
Oh, and since one bonus of COVID-19 isolation is that my son's church has gone to live-streaming their services, you can know for sure that I will be glued to my computer screen at 9:30 am Mountain Time on Mother's Day!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God's Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
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