A Mother's Testimony At the Well

"Each day of our lives we make deposits
in the memory banks of our children.
~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

A little girl, asked where her home was,
replied, "where mother is."
~Keith L. Brooks
 

Great quotes. I thought they would be particularly helpful to start the topic brought up by Penny who is hosting us At the Well today. Thanks to Chelsey for continuing to sponsor the At the Well meme each week.

As I thought through Penny's topic of encouraging our daughters, I couldn't help but think back to my own childhood. Especially since my mom passed away two years ago this week (Sept. 11th, 2006).

I regularly feel the void of a mother/daughter relationship from the "daughter" side of things. My mother was physically and mentally disabled, so I wasn't taught many of the domestic lessons that many moms teach their kids. But, praise the Lord, in His infinite grace and goodness, He gave me a mother who depended on Him for her every breath. Her chronic pain and depression could have turned her to many other ways of coping, but instead she chose the way of the cross. And guess what? I now carry that legacy. So does my sister.


This is the last picture my sister and I had with our mom before she passed away.

So my focus of Penny's three questions (which I will list at the end of this post) is her #1 question: "How do you encourage your daughters in relationship with the Lord?

I teach them what I learned from my mama--to depend on the Lord for everything, to love His Word and to love the church. That is the best encouragement I can give them, because all the other stuff I'm sorta wingin' and learning from others as I go along.

I wasn't taught to follow a recipe for a meal, but I was taught to follow THE recipe for living.
I wasn't taught to clean house, but I was taught to live a clean life.
I wasn't taught to iron, but I was taught to take my wrinkled life before the Lord for perfecting.

And I'm overwhelmingly thankful I learned from her that it is in being weak and broken that I can truly be strong, God-strong.

I'm not saying that the teaching of domestic duties should not be emphasized with our daughters...nothing is farther from the truth. The Bible talks about these important qualities in Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. I'm only saying that I'm probably not the source of expertise on them... ;) I'm hoping as I meet other mothers at the well today I will glean wisdom and insight into improving these areas in motherhood. And maybe someone else can glean from mine.

I truly, truly, truly pray that each woman at the well sees my heart on this subject and that my testimony can encourage another mother who thinks that she can't do the parenting thing for whatever reason. Think about it: if you cannot do one other thing, you can show your daughters how much you love and depend on the Lord, how to open their Bibles and live by it, and give them the love and affection that Christ has given you.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NIV)
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Would love for you to meet us at the well for discussion today. Here are Penny's questions for discussion. Which one can you tackle?
Discussion Questions:
As mothers we have the ability to shape furture generations through our children. Our daughters are not only ours but first and foremost daughters of HIM. The relationship they have with Jesus will affect all they do, now in our homes and later in their own. Having a married daughter expecting her first child, I have been blessed to see this all come full circle, Well almost, the circle seems to grow bigger all the time. I am really excited about sharing this week :)
#1 How do you encourage your daughters in their relationship with the Lord?
#2 How do you encourage them in areas of domestic service in your home?
#3 How do you encourage them in their future of loving their husbands and their own children, and also being content if marriage isn't in God's plan for them?

What's on your mind when you read these? Pleeeeeeeease take the time to share, and to go and learn from other Godly wise women at Penny Raine's blog. I can't wait!

In the Key of HE,