Unsung
Recently the articles chronicle the Christ-like attitude of my step-father Fred. His godliness is an inspiration. However, it would be negligent if we did not discuss the other godliest person I know, his wife, my mother.
Let me start with a quote[1]. “When I first met Ruth, I was so awed I decided I had to get to know her better. [She] was one of the most godly women I had ever met. I got so excited with what I found I married her. I can confirm that Ruth is indeed a very choice woman of God. Her outward life is truly an expression of the living God she has in her heart. She lives what she speaks…”
Fred wrote that more than 20 years ago. Has she changed since then? Yes, she has grown godlier. Two things really stand out to me about the woman it is my privilege to call, “Mom”.
Fred says, “She lives what she speaks.” That is more than difficult for most of us. However, since Mom has been a Sunday School teacher, Bible Study teacher, seminar and conference speaker and lecturer for 40 plus years, to live what she speaks takes on another added dimension. Why do people keep asking her to teach? To quote Fred again, “She is one of the most gifted teachers I know.” That is only part of it. One can be the greatest teacher in world but if the subject is not worthwhile, the teaching is wasted.
The woman knows the Bible. It is not just that she reads it cover to cover every year (for as long as I can remember). It is not just that she has committed more of it to memory than anyone has I know. She understands what the Bible says and she lives it. We talk about Acts 17:11 here a lot, the verse about studying the Scriptures daily. She does that. It AMAZES me. Every time I talk to her (once or twice a week); she tells me about something NEW she has learned from it. This woman has read the Bible cover to cover at least 40 times. She has literally hundreds, if not thousands of verses memorized - (if she does not have a passage memorized she can find it faster in her Bible than I can using a computerized concordance) and every time she opens the Bible, she learns something new!
Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” [2]
Psalm 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”
The entirety of Psalm 119 is about meditating on Scripture. This woman lives that way. She meditates on the Word. (There is a quote, “If you know how to worry you know how to meditate - the only difference is the subject matter.”)
Therefore, the first thing that stands out about the godly character of this woman is the simple fact that she loves spending time studying scripture (and sharing what she discovers). I know I can not say that - I cannot always honestly say, “There nothing I would rather be doing than studying and sharing scripture.” [I can say that I know that is what I should be doing.]
The second thing that amazes me about my Mom is her servant attitude. About a month before Fred had his back surgery - between his ongoing cancer treatment, Mom had to have back surgery… It was a not rocket science, she had to have the surgery or else she would lose the use of her leg. The first question out of her mouth was, “Who is going to take care of Fred?”
I could list a thousand and one ways to exemplify her servant attitude. Her focus is caring for Fred - but that does not stop her from serving others. Some of our family members went to help with Fred and to visit. What did Mom do? Before they arrived, she went grocery shopping for them. There is a small problem with that. My parent’s house has a ‘guest apartment’ on the second floor. It is self contained - people can live there, it has its own entrance, bath and kitchenette. Mom had back surgery a month ago. She can not lift a lot of weight at one time. What did she do? After grocery shopping to stock the ‘apartment’, she took the groceries upstairs. She did not think about it, she did it. More than ten trips, a gallon of milk or half a bag of groceries at a time. Think about that. The next time you are out, stop at a five story building and take the stairs up to the fifth floor. Me, I would have left the groceries downstairs. When they arrived said, “Hey, come get your groceries.” A month after serious back surgery, I certainly would not be making trips up or down stairs unless the house was on fire…
Recently, when I told Mom she was the godliest woman I know, she said, “Don’t say that, I have a long way to go!” If she has a long way to go, I am in serious trouble…
She is living proof of the old saying, “The more I know, the more I know I do not know.” It occurred to me that her knowledge of the scriptures and her heart for God is so strong, she understands much more about what is pleasing to God and what is sin. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
For her (and Fred), the ‘sins of the flesh’ are not the issue… It is the sins of the mind (“bringing every thought into captivity”)… Things like that instant flash of anger when someone cuts us off in traffic. Things like being annoyed at the screaming baby in the restaurant. Complaining which is criticizing God, instead of recognizing our own opportunity for growth and faith. Things like being disappointed when things do not go ‘our way’. Things like that flash of anger when someone corrects us. Things like envy or bitterness that someone else gets a promotion, a new car, house or toy.
Most importantly, they are aware when they miss an opportunity to minister to others…
Like previously stated, “What we do in this life effects eternity. Every opportunity we have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is an opportunity that has everlasting consequences…”
Unsung, yes, unappreciated never. Just as Fred is the godliest man I know, Mom is the godliest woman I know. It is somewhat humorous and at the same time humbling. I call home and talk to Mom, and she tells me the impact, the ‘good’ Fred is having in the lives of others… I call home and talk to Fred, and he tells me the impact, the ‘good’ Mom is having in the lives of others. [2]
[1] Edited for brevity.
[2] We talked about ‘the good’ and what that means in “What Good?”
Let me start with a quote[1]. “When I first met Ruth, I was so awed I decided I had to get to know her better. [She] was one of the most godly women I had ever met. I got so excited with what I found I married her. I can confirm that Ruth is indeed a very choice woman of God. Her outward life is truly an expression of the living God she has in her heart. She lives what she speaks…”
Fred wrote that more than 20 years ago. Has she changed since then? Yes, she has grown godlier. Two things really stand out to me about the woman it is my privilege to call, “Mom”.
Fred says, “She lives what she speaks.” That is more than difficult for most of us. However, since Mom has been a Sunday School teacher, Bible Study teacher, seminar and conference speaker and lecturer for 40 plus years, to live what she speaks takes on another added dimension. Why do people keep asking her to teach? To quote Fred again, “She is one of the most gifted teachers I know.” That is only part of it. One can be the greatest teacher in world but if the subject is not worthwhile, the teaching is wasted.
The woman knows the Bible. It is not just that she reads it cover to cover every year (for as long as I can remember). It is not just that she has committed more of it to memory than anyone has I know. She understands what the Bible says and she lives it. We talk about Acts 17:11 here a lot, the verse about studying the Scriptures daily. She does that. It AMAZES me. Every time I talk to her (once or twice a week); she tells me about something NEW she has learned from it. This woman has read the Bible cover to cover at least 40 times. She has literally hundreds, if not thousands of verses memorized - (if she does not have a passage memorized she can find it faster in her Bible than I can using a computerized concordance) and every time she opens the Bible, she learns something new!
Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” [2]
Psalm 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”
The entirety of Psalm 119 is about meditating on Scripture. This woman lives that way. She meditates on the Word. (There is a quote, “If you know how to worry you know how to meditate - the only difference is the subject matter.”)
Therefore, the first thing that stands out about the godly character of this woman is the simple fact that she loves spending time studying scripture (and sharing what she discovers). I know I can not say that - I cannot always honestly say, “There nothing I would rather be doing than studying and sharing scripture.” [I can say that I know that is what I should be doing.]
The second thing that amazes me about my Mom is her servant attitude. About a month before Fred had his back surgery - between his ongoing cancer treatment, Mom had to have back surgery… It was a not rocket science, she had to have the surgery or else she would lose the use of her leg. The first question out of her mouth was, “Who is going to take care of Fred?”
I could list a thousand and one ways to exemplify her servant attitude. Her focus is caring for Fred - but that does not stop her from serving others. Some of our family members went to help with Fred and to visit. What did Mom do? Before they arrived, she went grocery shopping for them. There is a small problem with that. My parent’s house has a ‘guest apartment’ on the second floor. It is self contained - people can live there, it has its own entrance, bath and kitchenette. Mom had back surgery a month ago. She can not lift a lot of weight at one time. What did she do? After grocery shopping to stock the ‘apartment’, she took the groceries upstairs. She did not think about it, she did it. More than ten trips, a gallon of milk or half a bag of groceries at a time. Think about that. The next time you are out, stop at a five story building and take the stairs up to the fifth floor. Me, I would have left the groceries downstairs. When they arrived said, “Hey, come get your groceries.” A month after serious back surgery, I certainly would not be making trips up or down stairs unless the house was on fire…
Recently, when I told Mom she was the godliest woman I know, she said, “Don’t say that, I have a long way to go!” If she has a long way to go, I am in serious trouble…
She is living proof of the old saying, “The more I know, the more I know I do not know.” It occurred to me that her knowledge of the scriptures and her heart for God is so strong, she understands much more about what is pleasing to God and what is sin. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
For her (and Fred), the ‘sins of the flesh’ are not the issue… It is the sins of the mind (“bringing every thought into captivity”)… Things like that instant flash of anger when someone cuts us off in traffic. Things like being annoyed at the screaming baby in the restaurant. Complaining which is criticizing God, instead of recognizing our own opportunity for growth and faith. Things like being disappointed when things do not go ‘our way’. Things like that flash of anger when someone corrects us. Things like envy or bitterness that someone else gets a promotion, a new car, house or toy.
Most importantly, they are aware when they miss an opportunity to minister to others…
Like previously stated, “What we do in this life effects eternity. Every opportunity we have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is an opportunity that has everlasting consequences…”
Unsung, yes, unappreciated never. Just as Fred is the godliest man I know, Mom is the godliest woman I know. It is somewhat humorous and at the same time humbling. I call home and talk to Mom, and she tells me the impact, the ‘good’ Fred is having in the lives of others… I call home and talk to Fred, and he tells me the impact, the ‘good’ Mom is having in the lives of others. [2]
[1] Edited for brevity.
[2] We talked about ‘the good’ and what that means in “What Good?”
posted by Unchained Slave at 10:30 AM
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