I owe more to a mother than to any other person on earth. Notice, I said “a” mother, not “my” mother. While I loved my mother dearly and I’m truly indebted for her contributions to my life, there is another mother who has been an even greater blessing in my life– my wife, the mother of my children. Not only has she influenced the lives of our eight children, she has been the greatest transforming power on earth to me.
After 55 years of marriage I can honestly say that nobody on earth has had such a great influence on my life. When I thought I had something all figured out she was bold enough to question me and wise enough to give me a different perspective. When I have been at my worst she has been at her best. She has forgiven me fully and loved me freely, and followed me loyally. When discouraged she was my bright light of encouragement. When hurt she has been a soft-shoulder to cry on. When I failed she has been a strong arm to help me up. And the list could go on and on.
Yet, for all she has done, she has never requested or received the praise she deserves. She has been a loving mother, a faithful spouse, a dedicated pastor’s wife, and my best friend. How can you possibly give a person like this the praise they deserve? You can’t– but you can try. So, this is my feeble effort to tell you a little about the wonderful mother who has had the greatest influence in my life– my children’s mother. I owe a lot to my mom, dad, one and only pastor, preacher friends, and supportive church members, but no one has been so helpful to me as the mother who is my wife.
It is a sad fact that many mothers fail to get the praise they deserve from their children–hopefully it isn’t because of the father’s failure to honor his wife. Husbands of godly mothers should do all they can to express their love and appreciation for their children’s mother. Happy Mother’s Day!
