First Baptist Church of Herndon

TBD

Linda Soller | May 11, 2015

It’s a princess!  A baby girl is born to Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William the Duke of Cambridge, name TBD (to be determined). Finally they tweeted their decision. The British Royal Family announced Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge is the official name of its newest member, fourth in line to the British throne. It appears the bookmakers in England liked Charlotte, a nod to her grandfather Prince Charles. The other names honor her great-grandmother and her grandmother respectively. Prince Harry is now one step further away from the throne. Considering how long his grandmother has reigned the odds are not looking so good for Harry.

Around Mother’s Day I can’t help but think about all the moms who lost their babies. I think about the difficulties those mothers and their families face as they come to terms with their loss. There will not be any fanfare or big announcement for them. We must be sensitive to the needs of these moms. We must keep them in our prayers. Their healing will be ongoing.

Much like fashion, the trends in motherhood go through cycles. Gather a group of moms of varied generations and ask them about the trends when they were raising their children. Did your child sleep on his/her back, side, or stomach? Seems to depend on the decade in which they were born. Did you spank your children, use a “time out chair”, or negotiate? The list goes on and on. Just the other day I told my daughter I didn’t remember if she liked certain foods because she continued eating baby food much longer than her daughter. Her way is not wrong, it’s just different. Actually, I really liked the baby food plums and apricots so I wasn’t anxious to change how I fed my children. Most times we have to admit moms really know their own kids the best. Note I said most times.

Picture the mom who tells her son at the family gathering, “Go dance with Aunt Hazel.” Visualize the son’s look of dread as he drags himself over to where Aunt Hazel sits, and her eyes lighting up as she stands to dance. Another mom tells her daughter to volunteer to watch the “demon child” from next door so the child’s mother can take a nap or read a book. The daughter gives her best plea, “Mom, why do I have to do it.” Later she is standing in the back yard with the little girl jumping to her off the step, over and over again. The child thinks she is in heaven, playing with the big girl from next door. The daughter actually laughs along, but tries hard to look miserable. Moms ask their children to do difficult things for good reason.

Jesus and his mom were at a wedding. The celebration ran out of wine. She asked her son to turn water to wine. She knew He could do it. He probably thought, “Aw mom”, but He did what she asked. My guess is Mary wasn’t in the habit of making unreasonable requests, but when all was said and done she made a mom request. She knew her son could do amazing things to serve others, and this was just a small example. Moms watch to see what their children are supposed to do. Moms teach to show their children what to do. Moms encourage their children to do things well. Moms love their children through thick and thin.

Not everyone who wants to be a mom becomes a mom. Not every child who needs a mom has the one they want. But take my word every woman will have opportunities to be a mom to someone, watching, teaching, encouraging, and loving. Every child will cross the path of at least one “mom” who will watch, teach, encourage, and love them if given the chance.  I encourage you to continue to pray for the moms of this world, in all their shapes, sizes, colors, locations, and beliefs. The results of their life long efforts is TBD, but it's worth the wait.

Have a great week! :o)  Linda