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LESSONS FROM MAMAS 2 Timothy 1:5 "When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also." “Mama.” The very sound of the word brings forth a rush of emotions. It can be a shout of joy or a cry for help, a plea for mercy, or a questioning of actions. The importance of mamas cannot be overstated. In the afore mentioned scripture Paul, speaking to Timothy, was commending him on his genuine faith, but he also remembered where Timothy had learned that faith. He learned it first from his grandmother, then from his mother. Can we pause for a few minutes and think back to the lessons we have learned from the “mamas” in our lives? What did they teach us? Sometimes they taught with words, sometimes with actions, sometimes with demonstrations and sometimes with corrections. They modeled life styles of commitment to their children, husbands, students, neighbors, and the community. I want to share some of the things my mamas taught me and in many ways shaped the woman I am today. When mom was there I knew I was secure, protected, had my basic needs met, and was loved. Although there were six of us and not enough of anything to give us all we wanted, we never lacked love, the most basic need of all. Bible stories, prayer, fairytales, and good night kisses were our nightly routine. The church, just a few hundred feet down the street, was a place we went to any time the doors were open. Bible reading, prayer, and worship were a part of every day. Mom sang. We would wake up and go to sleep listening to her as she did chores late into the night and early in the morning. She talked to us about the things that mattered, whether it was a homeless child, a stray dog, the sisters that went through the town begging for food, a neighbor most considered beneath them, or the world affairs that could impact our future. We learned to hate communism as young children and we accepted the responsibility for those less fortunate than we and that of preserving and fighting for our nation. My grandmothers both taught me much about life. Mom’s mother taught me about the commitment to the marriage. She and Papaw never went to bed mad at each other. They never missed church and they started a church in any community they lived in that didn’t have one. She taught me how to peel a potato and hoe the garden, pick berries, and can the harvest. Dad’s mother had been a widow even before I was born and had very little income so she took in laundry, raised chickens (teaching us how to ring one’s neck, chop off its head, scald it, hang it on the line and pluck its feathers before cooking it) a garden, and a pig that she slaughtered each fall. She made us pajamas, shorts, and shirts from feed sacks and always had a spare dollar in the dish cabinet just in case we had to have it. She made a large pot of pinto beans or soup often that fed our large family. Finally, at age 68 she got saved!! She taught me self-sufficiency, the reward of hard work, and how to take what money I had and use it wisely. My mother-in law, Mayoma, taught me country cooking, how to have sparkling white laundry, and how to be content living a simple life. She would wake her household playing hymns and singing them loudly many mornings. Commitment to God was foremost. Other Mothers in Israel modeled what being a godly woman entailed. Many were like Deborah, teaching me justice, the importance of women in the church, and how to defeat the enemy. Some taught me and are still teaching me how to be an intercessor, praying continually for those things and people whom God has assigned me. I learned to pray from the Aglow leaders I served under; what being a Spirit-filled life looked like and how to rightly discern the voice of God. My heart’s desire is to be that kind of Mama, to see my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren fulfill the call of God that is on their lives. I pray this over them regularly: Colossians 4: 12 He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. And 4:17 Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you. Just as Lois and Eunice taught Timothy, our role is teaching the next generation our faith. If we can hand them anything that will make them successful, live a worthwhile life, make a positive impact on the community that surrounds them, and find peace that passes understanding, we must hand them our legacy of faith. Our responsibility to pass on our faith doesn’t stop within the confines of our immediate family or church. The nation, even the nations, depends on the training and leadership of mature Christian, Bible believing, God-fearing women taking a stand as we did in Washington D.C. in October. So, get on your soap box; stand on the courthouse lawn; visit the Mall in Washington; take your place on the wall; speak out when others may not want to hear; and be a bold voice for righteousness. I leave you with my favorite Bible promise that is my go-to scripture for my own. Isa 59:21 "As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who s upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." Isa 60:1-2 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. Priscilla Weaver, Women's Aglow WV AuthorPriscilla Weaver currently serves as the president of the WV area leadership team for Aglow International, a Christian ministry active in over 170 nations. She also coordinates National Day of Prayer in Boone County, WV, a position she has held since 2000, is a member of WV Prayer Alliance and Pray WV. She teaches math and high school science at Christian Faith Academy, Van, WV, having earned a BS degree from WV State University in teaching chemistry. She is a member of Christian Faith Center. She loves teaching both school and a Bible study at the Fulton Women’s House, a recovery house. She is a widow, mother of two, grandmother of five, and great-grandmother of 10, soon to be 12. When invited, she speaks at conferences and churches where she ministers in word and prayer. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |
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