Mothers
Now that I'm back in the swing of things at church, I have had opportunity to reflect on motherhood. Naomi's birth was the day and a week before Mother's Day. For the week leading up to Mother's Day I spent playing Mr. Mom. I can tell you that this experience always renews my thanksgiving for God's creation of a suitable helper for man. I'm not built for that sort of work. It's hard, exhausting work, never finished, nor new or interesting. Dishes, dirty laundry, diapers, and dinner consumed every waking hour. If not for the joy of our new child and love of my wife, I lack the motivation for these things. (Well, maybe not occasional cooking on my terms and schedule.) Most remarkable is that mothers pursue these seemingly mundane tasks with joy. They did not volunteer for them. Rather God chose woman to bear the children of the world. His election brought all sorts of spiritual gifts necessary for them to be such great caregivers for family and home. The faithless reject children and neglect their care. But the Christian women of the world care for the children. I don't think Anne would argue that on some days it is nothing short of a miracle that both she and the children lived to see its end. Only by the grace of God are we forgiven and so can forgive others. Only by God's grace can a mother forgive the trespasses of her children and can they do the same for her. There was a time that I considering writing on Christian parenting. So little has been written. But I wonder how much needs to be said. We don't need practical life lessons for parenting. God has granted us faith, making us his children. A mother and father need only live in this Gospel grace, calling upon God in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks. Christian families succeed not due to us or our abidance to the Law's precepts but to God's forgiveness. The best gift a mother can grant to her home is to receive our Lord's forgiveness often in His Word and Sacraments. The Holy Spirit renews faith in her heart, giving her the grace to live in her baptism. She is given all the gifts uniquely needed for the nurture and care of her children. We fathers are shocked and awed at the Spirit's work. On the last day we will praise our Lord with thanksgiving that he saw that the man had no suitable helper and granted us all our Eve, for the sake of man and for all the children of faith.
