Mothers, your influence is immeasurable. In this month when we honor you, consider the following quotations and be encouraged.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – For me, a line from mother is more efficacious than all the homilies preached in Lent.
Edgar Allen Poe –
Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of “Mother.”
John Wesley (an evangelist and Christian leader who founded the Methodist denomination) – My mother was the source from which I derived the guiding principles of my life.
While a student at Williams College, James Garfield (20th President of the United States), along with other students, climbed one of the high peaks seven miles distant, on “Mountain Day.” The surrounding scenery was enough to awaken religious awe. Just then young Garfield broke the silence: “Boys, it is a habit of mine to read a chapter in the Bible every evening with my absent mother. Shall I read aloud?” The little company assented; and, drawing from his pocket a well-worn Testament, he read in soft, rich tones the chapter which his mother in Ohio was reading at the same time, and then he called on a classmate, who was with him on the mountain top, to pray.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote: My mother was as mild as any saint, and nearly canonized by all she knew, so gracious was her tact and tenderness.
In 1862, in the grief after his son Willie’s death, President Abraham Lincoln recalled of his mother: “I had a good Christian mother, and I remember her prayers. They have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”
As a child, Dwight Eisenhower recalled how every evening, after their chores, he, along with his six brothers and father, would gather and sing hymns, accompanied by their mother Ida Eisenhower on the piano. They would then read the Bible as a part of their daily routine.
John Ruskin (February 8, 1819–January 20, 1900) an English critic, author and philanthropist stated, “Whatever merit there is in anything that I have written is simply due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily read me a part of the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart. To my early knowledge of the Bible I owe the best part of my taste in literature, and the most precious, and on the whole, the one essential part of my education.”*
Tom Loyola (wait, that’s me! J) I have written in the past about the strong Christian legacy my mother has provided her four children and many grandchildren … and now, great-grandchildren. As Mom approaches the midpoint of her 10th decade of life, she continues to impart that legacy. Her devotion to Jesus Christ is unwavering. Indeed, it seems somewhat odd to describe her faith in that way, as “unwavering devotion.” That is certainly true but perhaps a better way to say it would be like this: walking with Jesus Christ is her life. One of the ways I have observed that in recent years is Mom’s gratitude. It is clear in the Bible that thankfulness is important to God and that it should mark the lives of His people. (See Colossians 3:15-17 for an example passage.) Mom’s is not just a generic thankfulness but a gratitude specifically directed at the Lord. I don’t think there has been a phone conversation she and I have had during the past number of years in which she failed to say at some point, “I am thankful to the Lord.” She may say it like that or she may add some detail, such as, “I am thankful to the Lord for all He has done for me.” Despite the limitations and ailments she experiences, Mom is thankful. Thanks, Mom, for being a steady influence for Jesus in my life!
Well, again, mothers, know that what you do as “Mom” makes a huge difference in the lives of those who get to call you by that name. You are a blessing!
*The first 8 quotations are taken from William J. Federer, Great Quotations.