Welcome to those who are just joining us for this series of Advent devotionals. We are looking at types of people who have had strong impact on our faith. Yesterday we looked at the influence of fathers. Today we look at mothers.
My mother was a wild Irish woman. She had auburn red hair and a flaming temper to go with it. Mom grew up in northern Ireland during the bloody conflict of the Black and Tan. She spoke of how soldiers ransacked her home and how her mother made her lie down on the floor of a public bus as it drove through a volley of bullets. Despite those war experiences, my mother developed a wry sense of humor.
When I was in my early teens, Mom went back to Ireland to visit her mother. She left me in charge of preparing meals, doing the wash, and cleaning the house. One day, I somehow added soap twice to a load of laundry. Huge quantities of bubbles started foaming up and sliding down the outside of the machine. One of my older brothers sauntered out and offered this sage advice: “Next time, don’t add so much detergent.”
When I complained to Mom in my next letter, she gave her own advice: “Next time, ask him to show you how to do the chore better. He’ll feel good about himself, you might learn something new, and, in any case, he will have done the chore for you!”
My mother passed along advice to me, but Jesus’ mother faced a far more difficult task: No other woman had ever mothered God’s Son. Mary was young and inexperienced. What wisdom did she have? Who gave her advice?
The Lord gives much more than advice. The Bible is full of God’s wisdom. James 1:5 tells us that if any man (or woman) lacks wisdom, they merely need to ask God for it. May I suggest you read Proverbs 2:2-11 today?
