A Mother of Sinners

It is a somber and sad day when Mother realizes her children are sinners. There is something called "The Depravity of Man" - and a "sin nature." These are things our children will fight against, each day, for the rest of their lives. It causes them great pain and suffering.  But it hurts Mom the most. . .

The sad realization is when you have young adults and teenagers who try so hard to walk the road of righteousness, but keep getting distracted by the world. They come home full of adventurous experiences - some thrilling, some heartbreaking - but there is sadness in their eyes and marks from the thorns.  There is no pure holiness in them, like you once thought there would be, when they were baby-cherubs in your eyes.  There is dirt and filth because. . frankly. . . your children have been dangerously playing in the world. And it will tear your heart out. . .

Others will see and mock. They are like closet-pharisees who think they are above depravity. This is the saddest thing of all - when your fellow Christian man gives up on your family and walks away - as if YOU, as the mother, did something wrong.

But I know a secret. . .

It is to never give up. I learned this in profound ways from some very precious Mothers - Erma, Emma and Edith:

Emma  (1950's)

Emma was Old Order Amish and became a widow at a young age. She was left with six children to raise, alone at home, and with the help of her Amish community.  She watched as young people experimented with the rules and "English" world around them. She was terrified as they did things that were dangerous to their souls. She prayed in secret and received constant comfort and reassurance from The Master.  But most of her children left the church to join more progressive churches.  The culture was rapidly changing and it was seeping into the Amish world.  One of the important things I learned from Emma was this:

She did not try to convince her children of the old ways - she lived it.  When her teenagers and young adults were living questionable lives, she let it all play out and let them learn their lessons. Why did she do this? She knew the Holy Spirit was working in their lives and God was in control. While she certainly advised them and got help and support from the elders, her daily practice as a mother was to let them learn to make decisions for themselves so they could grow.  The hardest lesson I learned from Emma was that, since we live in a rapidly decaying culture, our children are not always going to follow our old paths. They are facing new challenges in each generation - new temptations - and living in a culture that we never would have imagined.  Through it all, and despite the pain, she knew how to remain Amish. The lesson: stand fast in your faith, mother, regardless of the path your children take.

 Erma   (1960's)

In Erma's time, there was free love. Teenagers were spitting on the ground their parents walked on, and forsaking traditional family. They were shacking up and doing all manner of drugs. They hated our country and hated decency. They brought a downfall of horror to our society. When they did this, they only said, "peace," but they were deluded.

Erma had an amazing sense of humor, as a mother. She was a beloved columnist who shared her life with millions of readers. She encouraged them and made them laugh, even when they wanted to cry. Through all the pain and frustration of raising her children to be decent, God fearing citizens, she did the most important thing of all - she did not give up.


 Edith   (1970's)

As the war on our culture raged, feminism (or as some call, it - nazi-feminism) was raging strong. Edith, the traditional housewife, who was dedicated to her family, putting them first above all things - had a feminist daughter and a liberal son-in-law. The amazing thing about Edith is that she stayed who she was. She did not bend to the will of society - she did not become like her daughter - she remained a steadfast example of home, family and motherhood - and she did it all without pushing her views on anyone. She did it in silence. Her example meant more to a nation, on that television screen, even though the show was meant to belittle her. Even Erma loved her and said the world needed more Ediths.


No matter what we see in our children, on the surface, we have no idea what kind of work God is doing behind the scenes. He is laying the groundwork for their future. He is allowing them to wallow in things in order to gain experience in life, and to know and understand heartache. He is teaching them things we could never teach them. So, dear Mother of sinners, no matter what is going on in the lives of your children, remember this - a virtuous godly mother who is unflinching in her faith, while full of flaws herself, is the greatest testimony to her children than any words you could utter. Mother, ignore the pharisees, and stay strong and brave. In the very end, your children will rise up and call you blessed. 

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Jeremiah 17:7

Blessings
Mrs. White

A Mission of Mercy - The Sum of Godly Motherhood.

Very, very hard times - Trouble with Teenagers.

Homeschooling - How My Children Learned Social Skills.



Tweet


An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email.