Maineville Lighthouse Church

 

 I was thinking…Pastor Steve   

 

A wife of noble character who can find?   She is worth far more than rubies.  Her children arise and call her blessed; Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”   Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Proverbs 31: 10, 28 - 30 (NIV)

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I was thinking how blessed I am to have  a spouse who has been willing to put up with all of my imperfections.  (I know, many of you are shocked to think that I may have problems like everyone else!).  As I've mentioned before, I have had two different jobs working in printing factories.  I was laid off from both.   22 years total.  Then I got a part time job working for Clermont Senior Services, another 13 years.  All part-time, 24 hours a week.  Dona and I began attending Cincinnati Bible College a few years into that job.

 

Why is that, you say?  Because I had made a commitment in 1995 to do whatever God wanted me to do.  I hadn't dreamed I would be laid off or begin working that part-time job, but there probably wasn't any other way I, we, could have taken the classes otherwise.  There were just too many hours that had to be taken to be full-time students.

 

And even though we were making way less money, we still paid our bills.  This, this would have been a good time for Dona to dump me!  Nevertheless, she doubled down on encouraging me, helping me see that God was in the plan.  She did the classes, continued being a realtor, and was helping take care of our oldest granddaughter.  She definitely needs to be called "blessed."

 

For Mother's Day, remember your Mom, Aunt, Neighbor, Sister, spouse and anyone else who's killing it out there in the world.  This has been even more difficult these last two years and they need to know that their strength, ability, and beauty has not gone unnoticed and that they are very much appreciated.

 

Here's to Mom, wherever you are and however you have carried you and your family through life.  But, don't forget that last part in the verse above: "but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."  God must always be the center of everything, He must come first.  Then you can look at your spouse, as I'm sure Dona has done, and say God help me deal with this man and family you gave me. 

 

It probably isn’t politically correct to declare that women can be mothers, but they are the only ones who can be.  Let’s face it, this is what God designed and, so far, science hasn’t been able to alter that fact.  And that’s a good…no, a great, thing.  Yes, it’s prejudicial and chauvinistic on my part, but I think God gave each gender, male and female, certain qualities that work well together.  Not only was Eve a helpmate for Adam, but Adam was a helpmate for Eve.  It’s a sympathetic partnership.

 

I know that Dona has way more abilities than I do in a variety of circumstances, but she still likes for me to take care of exterminating mice and bugs, and I’m okay with that.  If you read the whole of Proverb 31, you will see that this woman has many virtues, and the man and family should feel blessed to have her in their life.

 

Don’t ever ridicule a woman or make her feel ‘less than’ anyone else.  God has determined that women are essential people in the workings of the whole world.  So, who is going to tell God that He was wrong?  Not me.  No, I thank Him for all the women who have been in my life; past, present, and future.  May you do the same. God bless and have a wonderful Mother's Day.