They were gentle hands, strong hands, capable hands; they were the hands of a woman, a mother, a woman to walk beside a man, not behind him.”
–Louis L’Amour (Taggart)
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.”
–Proverbs 31:26-27 (NKJV)
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The hardest job in the world is that of being a mother. She has to be a person that can handle many tasks. As in the quotation she has to have gentle hands, yet strong hands; hands that are capable of handling an unruly child yet hands that can soothe a sick one when she runs it along a fevered cheek.
I especially remember the hands of my Grandma Adkisson. She took in washing and did ironing for a living. Her hands would break out due to the harsh soap. At night she would rub a black ointment on the raw spots. Yet she never complained. Those same hands would be out in the kitchen getting my breakfast ready and while I was at school would be busy making something “good” for me to eat.
A mother is meant to be the nurturer of the home. She is the one to clean and bandage the wounds; to wipe away the tears. She raises a son, and weeps when he leaves in the service of his country knowing that he may never return, yet she knows she must let him go. However, she will hold him in her heart and pray for him. She is the one who raises a daughter, teaching her how to be a proper, virtuous lady then watch as her husband gives her away to some young man at the altar.
Over the years I’ve watched my wife be a mom to our girls. All during their years of growing up she was there, sometimes being called the “meanest mother in the world” she never wavered in her responsibility before God and to her daughters. She taught them how to be domestic, how to look at the world with a proper attitude, and how to willingly and faithfully serve the Lord. Even though they are married and no longer at home she continues to be a “mom” to them.
Now, my daughters are following in her footsteps and example. They are mothers and are facing the turmoil of a new world. I see them instilling the love of God in their children. As the storms have come to their lives they faced it with unyielding trust in the Lord, therefore, instilling that same faith and trust in their children.
No matter what this postmodern society says about womanhood and feminism, they cannot shake the faith of a real mother. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by ladies who understood the duty and responsibility they had as a mother before the Lord. All I can say is thank the Lord for godly mothers!
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Today in the Texas Revolution: The Mexican army reaches the Atascosita Road at Victoria.