Tuesday With Teri

          Okay, so this was to be posted last Tuesday.  I think every now and then, and those who know me may say more often than that, I succumb to my own inattentiveness.  This  week was filled with many life lesson moments and to be honest I struggled with where to begin.  I had failed to figure it out by Tuesday and  by Thursday I realized I could not let this week post be about anything but moms, mother’s day was around the corner.  Again, when it comes to moms there is just so much to choose form.  When faced with this task I did what every self respecting writer would do…nothing.  Yep, instead of stopping to focus and contemplate what God may have been laying on my heart, I just avoided my computer.

          All this is to explain why I find myself at my computer on a Saturday, determined to write a thoughtful, God inspired, blog post in time to honor moms.  I am beyond blessed in the category of “moms”.   My sister once rightly reminded me that we would do well to be even half the woman our mother is.  She has always been not just “there” for us, but she is the single most important influence on my relationship with my savior.  It was she who made sure I was in church growing up, exposed to the truth of God’s Word.  It was her example of how to live that I emulate and it is her resilience that to this day both humbles and inspires me.  I am doubly blessed with a mother-in-law who graciously loves me at a level no one deserves.  She is my champion and encourager.  I have never once felt like I was just an “addition” to their family, but a fully fledged, unconditionally loved member.  Both of these remarkable ladies have had decidedly diverse life journeys, yet both of them are examples of God’s grace to us all.

          I was looking for scripture that spoke of the strength and value of such moms when I found Proverbs 14.  Not only did I find a great verse, but I found a hilarious tid bit that will stick with me for years, as I hope it does you as well.

“A woman’s house is held together by her wisdom, but it can be destroyed by her foolishness.” Proverbs 14:1(CEV)

          What a humbling reminder that as women we can, by God’s grace, impact our family for generations, yet in our own strength, “foolishness”, we can cause those bonds to crumble.   My mom and mother-in-law are definitely wise.

         After reading this I began to read further down Proverbs 14.  I am thinking I am done with what God wants me to share, but I am wrong.   I laugh even as I write this of the gem God placed there for me today.  Proverbs 14:4 says,

 “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox.” 

          Yep, as one commentary interpreted this, “there is no milk without manure”!   What a relief!  I must admit that after reading the value of a woman’s wisdom to her home, and the consequence of her foolishness, I felt a bit of pressure.  As a mother and wife I am often more foolish than wise it seems.  It is a relief to know that it is when life is “messy,” and the manger far from clean, that growth and accomplishment take place. 

I pray you have a blessed Mother’s Day.  Honor the moms in your life and embrace the manure that comes with living out life. 

 He is Lord of all!