Choir Notes

Priceless to Her Children
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4208

Whenever a camera scans a cheering crowd at a ball game, very often an excited fan will wave and shout, “Hi, Mom!” When a young man holds open a door for an elderly couple, he is likely to be told that his mother obviously raised him well. And countless individuals daily catch themselves repeating Mother’s words: “Better safe than sorry.” “Waste not, want not.” “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” and so on.

Mothers have such tremendous influence in our lives that it’s no wonder we frequently hear stories, poems, and songs idealizing motherhood. Some mothers may feel that they don’t measure up to that high standard, but if only they could see themselves the way their children see them, they might realize how valiant they truly are, despite their imperfections. Mothers have accepted the most important job on earth: to train and nurture precious children. Surely our Maker sees their efforts, hears their prayers, and counts their tears.

A young mother expressed her worries about her two little boys to an older woman whose children were grown. The experienced mother smiled and shared this wisdom: “When children know they are loved, it covers a host of parenting mistakes.” Twenty-five years later, the once-insecure mother has seen that this is absolutely true. Her now-grown children, happy and secure in their mother’s love, overlook her shortcomings. She is their mother, she loved them, she tried to do her best, and in the end that’s all that really mattered.

Every mother needs to hear that every once in a while—especially from her children. Perhaps today we can take a moment to mother our mothers a bit and assure them that they’re wonderful—just as they have told us so many times in our moments of self-doubt. Not just today, but every day, they need to know that a mother is a precious jewel, each one different, but each one priceless to her children.