a mother’s job
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise – so that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on earth.” (Eph 6:1-3)
One of the greatest tragedies of society today is the reduction of work done daily by stay-at-home mothers. Women who decide to stay at home to raise their children are a rare breed indeed. They have to overcome the stigma of comparison with others who pursue careers outside the home. They fail to achieve the sense of accomplishment that can come from a career. They are the invisible missionaries of our times. There will be a special reward for these selfless servants.
Without the commitment of our stay-at-home moms
Some of our greatest leaders will not be there. “Whatever I am,
Or hope, I owe my angel mother,” said Abraham
Lincoln.
Despite being poor, Ida Stover was determined to go to college. He raised enough money to attend Lane College in Lecompton, Kansas, where he met fellow student David Eisenhower. She was known as a firm but gentle disciplinarian and was deeply religious. It is said that he once won a prize for memorizing 1,365 Bible verses. As a pacifist, she was not in favor of her son attending West Point but decided to let him go. She was the mother of Dwight David Eisenhower, one of America’s greatest presidents.
Mary Litgot grew up on a farm and met her future husband, William Ford, when he came to work on her farm. She was 12 years old and he was 26 years old. They married nine years later. Mary was self-reliant and a hard worker. Henry later attributed his clean factories to his belief in cleanliness. He encouraged his interest in machines from the beginning. He later said, “I have tried to live my life the way my mother would have wanted me to. I believe that, as far as I can, I have done what she expected of me.” She was the mother of Henry Ford.*
Has God called you to be a stay-at-home mom? Know that your obedience and sacrifice will be recognized by the Lord.
*Adapted from: “Mothers: 100 Mothers of the Famous and Infamous,” edited by Richard Ehrlich; Paddington Press Ltd
