NOTAS EN ESPAÑOL

The First Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day began in 1908 by a woman named Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor mothers, so she had a special service in her church, Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, WV. It was so successful that other churches and groups after that began to hold special Mother’s Day celebrations. President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day an official national observance on May 9, 1914 and said that from then on the second Sunday in May would be set aside to honor mothers.

Mothers are Special

Every one of us owes his or her life to their mother, because they were the ones in whose body our bodies were knit together for 9 months. As it says in Psalm 139:13 NIV “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” And unless you were adopted, she was also the one who took care of you, fed you, nurtured you and made personal sacrifices all your life so you could succeed and be the person you were destined to become.

The Lord’s Comfort

I do recognize, however, that for some of you Mother’s Day is difficult. Maybe your mother has passed on, and so there is sadness connected with this day.

2 Cor. 1:3-4a

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations…”

Maybe your mother was one of those individuals who didn’t really know how to raise her child properly. Maybe you were abused or felt abandoned by your mother. So for you, this day reminds you of anger and hurt.

Ps. 27:10

“When my mother and my father forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”

For you older women, maybe you always wanted to be a mother, but conception has never happened for you. So for you this day may be one of regret or feeling like you missed out.

God has not overlooked your desire to nurture and care for children and he can give you many spiritual ones, children who otherwise would have no one to look up to and respond to. And God has worked physical miracles for those in the past and allowed them to conceive at an older age. He is still the same.

Isa. 54:1

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didn’t not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.”

You may have lost a child through miscarriage or death. So Mother’s Day is a reminder of loss or trauma and disappointment. But God is near to the brokenhearted. He can heal you. Let this day be one of hope and fond memories of loved ones who have passed.

Ps. 34:18

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit .”

Mal. 4:2a

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…”

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted…”

Mothers are Purposed by God

Women are designed emotionally and physically to have children.

It is God’s natural order. God gave commandment to Adam and Eve when they were created to “be fruitful and multiply”. Man is God’s crowning creation, made in His image. God has given us the special ability to create people, even as He did in the beginning.

From the time a little girl is old enough to walk and talk, she usually wants to play with dolls and rock those dolls to sleep and feed them and take care of them. It is put into the heart and soul of every little girl to eventually become a mother.

It is the enemy’s desire to steal, kill and destroy the future generation.

Mothers are Heroines

I want to talk about 4 mothers today, 3 of them are in the Bible. The last one is from more recent times.

Jochebed (Her name is found in Ex. 6:20; Num. 26:29)

Ex. 2:1-10

“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharoah came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

Jochebed’s sacrifice resulted in the life of Moses being spared in order to become one the greatest prophets and leaders that Israel ever had.

Hannah

1 Samuel 1:1-2

“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Ellkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.”

1 Samuel 1:9-11

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by the post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

1 Samuel 1:17-20

“Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and retuned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28

“And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

Hannah’s sacrifice resulted in Samuel’s life influencing all of Israel as he became one of the greatest of the judges and prophets.

Mary

Luke 1:26-38

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, name Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of is father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Matt. 1:18-20

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

Luke 2:25

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him

Luke 2:34-35

…And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

John 19:25-27

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Mary’s sacrifice resulted in Jesus our Saviour being born and our being reconciled to God and receiving eternal life and health and peace.

A Present-Day Mother

The last mother that I want to talk to you about is a woman who was born in 1914. That was only 2 years after the Titanic sunk and was the year that World War I began. She was the youngest of 9 children. She had 5 brothers and 3 sisters of which one of them died at the age of 5 from diphtheria, a disease that is virtually unheard of now, because most of us have been vaccinated against it. She herself survived many childhood illnesses, including smallpox. Her father was a farmer and also played the fiddle in the small farming community in Illinois where she was raised. They didn’t have much money. She only had three dresses for school that her mother made out of flour sacks.

You may have figured out by now that I am referring to my own mother. Her name was Kit Irene Walker Klenek and I am her only child.

After graduating from high school she took a job with a family as their nanny and eventually moved with them to the big city of Indianapolis where she met my father. They were married in 1944 right before WWII ended. I was born 10 years later.

She is one of the many mothers that have come and gone who did not have their names written in lights nor were famous or nationally recognized. Yet she fulfilled her motherhood with great sacrifice and care. My mother was always home when I was young and she always put me above herself. After I was born she decided that she wanted to raise me in church and because she didn’t have a car, she found one close by that she could walk to, and took me faithfully every Sunday, even without the accompaniment of my father, who at that time, didn’t see the need to go.

She taught me how to cook and sew and even learned to ride a bike with me and rollerskate. She volunteered at church, at school and took me every summer on the train to visit her family back in Illinois, a time I looked forward to every year.

A few years before she died she and my dad sold their house that they had lived in for over 30 years and moved here to the RGV to be close to me and their grandchildren. She was at Abundant Grace for about 5 years and I have a picture of her helping us at one of the Children’s Church events. My mom and dad were a part of what they call the Greatest Generation, tough, survivors, hard working, honest and upstanding. They lived in an era where your word was your bond and a handshake sealed the deal,

My Mother’s Poem:

God Speaks to Me
God speaks to me in the blinding lightning flash.
He speaks to me in the roll of mighty thunder.
God whispers to me in the gently falling rain.
He causes me to wonder.

Calling to me in the howling tempest’s lash,
“Be still and know that I am God,” says He,
“Jesus Christ, My only Son, I sent to earth,
To tell each one, of My love for all mankind.”

“He shed His blood for worldly sin.”
Every heart should yearn within,
To know His love and find
An inner peace to see them through,
“My Peace I give unto you.”