“Thank God for Non-Socially-Distant Moms!”
By Pastor Ron Buxton
During the middle of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army was busy seeking resources for their threadbare forces. And, as a result, they were traveling from farm to farm in that urgent quest. The soldiers were hungry, and there was also a great need for horses to carry the equipment.
One day, a young lieutenant came upon a wealthy Virginian estate. Looking over the paddock area, he spotted many beautiful horses that would have greatly benefited them. And so, he walked up to the massive door to that estate—fully intending to procure those horses. After considerable time knocking, an elderly and well-dressed woman appeared at the front door. “Can I help you, sir?” she politely inquired.
“Well, yes, ma’am, you certainly can!” responded the officer, “You see, I represent the Continental Army, and we are taking donations for the war effort against England. Ma’am, I couldn’t help but notice your beautiful horses, and we would like for you to donate them.”
“That’s absolutely out of the question!” she replied with anger in her voice, “Absolutely not!”
“You don’t understand”, insisted the officer, “We ask for donations—but if necessary–we will just take what we need!”
“Oh no–you won’t!” shot back the woman, “Now, you tell me! Who is your commanding officer? I want to talk to him!”
“Ma’am–that would be General George Washington. He’s the commander over the entire Continental Army. And he’s the one who sent me to confiscate these resources.’
At that answer, the elderly woman bristled with anger even more! She shouted: “You tell George…that…his mother said ‘NO’!!!”
Folks, when it comes to an ultimate authority—it’s hard to beat a mother. Upon the horizontal plane of human relations, she’s only a few pegs below God Himself! All kidding aside, we really need good mothers. And we really need her unique “closeness” all the time! May God help those children whose mother was socially and/or emotionally distant from them! They will probably require a miracle to adjust to any kind of normalcy.
You see, there is within a mother’s unique gifting from God–what I call—an invisible “glue” that holds the family unit together. This provides a wonderful adhesion of love and value that “holds” children together amid the very storms of childhood and adolescence.
The great tragedy of broken homes is the disruption to God’s design for motherhood. Children really do suffer. Although some University studies might argue otherwise, their findings are always biased and flawed. I know. I have first-hand experience among hundreds (maybe even thousands) of broken children. Sadly, they became “unglued” in the absence of what I just stated above. Why? Mothers hold children close to their hearts (physically) in their infancy, and they never really– emotionally– let them go.
So, here’s to all the good mothers out there! Thanks for cooperating with God’s design! We love you! Thanks for NOT being socially/emotionally distant to your children!
