Harold Keller / L’Observateur / May 11, 1998

CHILDREN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED GOD’S GIFTS

Every year, I write a Mother’s Day message. After so many years, I feellike sometimes I’m overly repetitious. This week, I asked God to give mesomething special to write. He is forever faithful. Monday, I received aletter from Cynthia Duck, a personal friend. She enclosed a short articleby Eugenia Price, a noted Christian author.

The article told of researched true-life stories of men and women whose lives had been directly hurt or blessed by the influence of a woman.

Unfortunately, most of them had been hurt.

God has given a woman the awesome job of being guardian of the home.

Children are either victimized or blessed by their mothers.

In Cynthia’s letter, she shared how her mother, who passed away a few months earlier, had such a spiritual influence on her life. Like Job,Cynthia’s mother never cursed God, even though her body was destroyed by cancer.

As Cynthia requested, I’m passing this message on to other mothers to encourage them to influence their children spiritually. She concluded thata mother’s faithfulness is a strength to a weak offspring.

Tuesday morning, I received a call from my friend, Kathleen Volion of Garyville. She wanted to read me a poem she wrote for a friend, whosemother had been a disappointment to her as she grew up. Kathleen saidthat the poem helped to heal a lot of hurt relationships in that family.

Allow me to share the poem with you.

“The Gift” If we live to be 100, God’s gift we may not find.

Although we have in right at home, So precious and so kind.

Children are a blessing, A privilege, not a right.

Mothers should praise God For that privilege every night.

Sometimes we forget about Our own mother’s plight.

To bring us up so very strong, It’s an uphill fight.

For when a child is born, No directions are installed.

Into the diapers or the clothes, No one for “Mom” to call.

A mother is not knowing, Of what is right or wrong.

Only love can guide her, To keep her children strong.

To hold on to the past For mistakes that mothers make Would be a greater loss Than anyone could take.

Treating each child differently To love and to provide Each one with special nourishment So that they can someday thrive.

In his or her own family With love and peace that comes From being loved by someone Until the job is done.

Yet mothers are not free From their children’s constant needs.

Even when they’re on their own, Mothers hear their silent pleas.

Throughout a child’s adult life, Mothers try to play a part By helping out their children, Keeping them so close to heart.

And sometimes without noticing Mothers seem so very bold To tell their babies how to act, A right they no longer hold.

But a mother’s heart is always true, With love until the end.

With the privilege of God’s greatest gift, Mothers do not break or bend.

So, children please remember That mother’s heart is gold.

For when you no longer have her, Who will you kiss, and love and hold.

Give praise and thanks to God, For His precious love abounds.

For when He created “Mother,” God’s greatest gift was found.

Harold Keller is a regular columnist for L’Observateur.

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