My Mother Spoke at Polishing the Pulpit Last Week

Those of you who know me know that my mother passed from this life in February of 2009. It was right after an epic ice storm that left so much damage in our area. The loss of my mother, even though I knew she was going to a better place, left a huge hole in my life and in my heart.

You may be wondering about my mental state when you glance back at the title of this post. I hope you’ll bear with me as I explain. I also hope you will take the lesson and apply it to your life.

I was blessed to be asked to teach five lessons for the ladies at Polishing the Pulpit. The weeks of preparation that go into writing and studying these lessons are surely a blessing to me as I grow spiritually.  It is always my prayer that those who listen to them will also learn and grow.

While working on these lessons I began to notice a pattern in my thinking. I would often think of something my mother had taught me, or said, or done in her life.  She had so influenced me that it seemed like she was speaking through me.  I think there is a lesson for us.

What will your children or grandchildren remember from your life that will live on and be expressed to the next generation?

• Will they remember a home that was full of love or just a place that provided a roof over your head? My home wasn’t perfect by any means, but my mother’s love made it the place I wanted to be. I knew I was loved there.
• Will they remember kindness or harshness? I seldom heard an unkind word come out of my mother’s mouth. Her touch was gentle (unless you were being spanked!).
• Will they remember being taught how to care for a home and those living there? You didn’t get to sleep in at our house. Since my mother had to work, we had to be up and ready for school early, and Saturday was the day we cleaned, bought groceries, and took care of the laundry. I learned at an early age how to do all of those things.
• Will they remember serving others? My mother was the kind of woman who was sought out by those needing help. She nursed my grandmother (her mother-in-law) who lived to be 98 years old. She could care for neighbors, church members, and even pets that were hurt.
• Will they remember you as a godly mother and grandmother? Godliness isn’t talked about much in our world, and yet, it is so needed.  I grew up living with a godly mother who fully trusted God’s word and always tried to put God first in her life.

This list could go on and on.  I don’t write these things to glorify my mother, but to use her as an example of the qualities we need to be instilling into our children and grandchildren.

When I stood up to speak, the woman who loved, nurtured, disciplined, and trained me spoke through me. She instilled faith in me that became my own. She taught me to love God over all else and to serve those with whom I come in contact.

If your child was asked to speak before others, could they speak based on what they had learned from you?

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn