A Mother's Love

It's likely you have heard of the wise King Solomon and the story about the two women who came to him with a baby, both claiming to be the mother. In an effort to settle the dispute, the king suggested that the child be cut in half and each one could have a half. One of the women agreed, but the other was appalled and said not to hurt the child, just let the other woman have him. Instantly the king knew who the real mother was; the woman who would not see her child hurt.

The king knew all about a mother's love, from his own mother. She sat next to him when he was on his throne, and she was one of his closest advisors. I imagine a king would be surrounded by a bunch of bobbleheads, eager to agree with him on everything, yet the one person who called him out when his drinking was becoming excessive was his mother. And Solomon listened to her.

The book of Proverbs in Christianity is usually credited as being written by Solomon, yet Jewish scholars attribute its beautiful 31st chapter as being the writing of Solomon's mother. The tenth verse reads, "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is above rubies..."

Lest you think the Queen Mother was some perfect person, let me tell you that her name was Bathsheba, the married woman who was bathing on the roof and caught the eye of King David. From there the story becomes a soap opera, with sex and murder and intrigue and the death of their first baby, and then Solomon was born. And then there is more grief and death and sibling rivalry. It was quite a dysfunctional family, this group that belonged to David and Bathsheba.

The story of the six days of creation in Judaism foretells the fact that David and Bathsheba would have a baby named Solomon. If you believe in fate, it was their destiny. It was going to happen. Yet because they were merely human, David and Bathsheba did what we as humans often do. They didn't just let go and allow it to happen, they twisted it all up and suffered a lot of messy pain. And brought pain to other people they loved.

Yet maybe, just maybe, that is what made Bathsheba such a wise woman in her later years. She knew what it was to make a poor choice, to mess things up, to suffer the consequences. And after David had long passed away, she was right there when her son needed her most.

The kingdom depended on Solomon, and the king depended on his mother. The power of a mother's love and influence is an amazing thing. Long after she held him in his arms, long after she stopped calling the shots in his life, long after he became the most powerful man in the world, long after he had any obligation to obey her, she still held sway in his life.

Love is the most powerful force in the world. And is there any love more powerful than a mother's love? I think not. I hope not.

Susan

Can I Get An Amen?

"Take this most seriously. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven, a no on earth is a no in heaven." Matthew 18:19

Have you ever sat in the pew of an evangelical Protestant church where people get worked up to a fever pitch? It's quite an experience. It takes a good speaker to push the right emotional buttons, but there's some interesting energy that goes on in the crowd, too. Folks are nodding their heads, and you start to hear "Amen!" as they encourage the speaker. It seems there is widespread agreement within the church. You might not actually believe what's being said, but there is kind of a holy peer pressure that sweeps you up, and you might find yourself nodding your head without realizing it. If the crowd is quiet, the minister may ask, "Can I get an amen?" Those less gifted orators need to brush up on their speaking skills, because a truly dynamic preacher should never have to ask for an amen. The word "amen" is translated "so be it."

Author Louise Hay says that whatever we say or think, the universe agrees with us. I have experienced this in my own life. Say I can't do it, and sure enough, I can't. Say I can, and it's amazing what I end up accomplishing. The apostle Matthew goes on to say that there is added power in having just one other person be in agreement.

My dear friend has a talent. Just this past week, she took bold action to start using her gift in a very real way. She was nervous and scared, but she took the first step of faith. Then the universe took over and the very next day, made her dream come true. I got a text message from her telling me it had happened. I texted back, "GO, YOU!!!!" then added "not surprised however" because I had known it all along. I believed in her. I had not been encouraging her just to be "nice." Frankly, telling someone they can do something when you really don't believe it is the opposite of nice. It's not truthful, and it only sets them up to get hurt.

You might say that she and I were in agreement on this one subject. She has a gift and she should share it with the world. It's her life, her show, and all I did was sit in the pew and say, "Amen!" So be it.

Susan

Easy as 1, 2, 3

"And if a man prevail against one, two shall withstand him: a threefold cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

I am most comfortable in the role of cheerleader and encourager. Avoiding the spotlight, working behind the scenes, helping others be all that they can be; that has always been me. For years, I worked as a secretary, helping and supporting the executive. When I was involved in church work, it was in a group that did not allow women to have leading roles. At the time, I was good with that. When I married, I put all my energy and effort toward being a "helpmeet" to my husband and the best mother I could be to my sons. When my younger son was 19, he wrote in my Mother's Day card, "Thanks for supporting me in everything I do. Thanks for always being there for me." It was totally my pleasure. And it was right and good to be that for my husband, for my kids.

Now it is my turn. I no longer can hide behind other people. I'm not known just as someone's secretary, someone's wife, someone's mother. The spotlight is on me. And to be honest, I shrink from it. It used to be that I was afraid of failing. Now I am almost afraid of succeeding.

It's my sons' turn to encourage and cheer me on. And that they do. I have a wonderful group of supportive friends and extended family. And my two roommates and me? I refer to us as the Three Musketeers..."all for one, one for all." They, too, are at a point in their lives where it's their turn to shine. These two women enbolden me and make me feel brave. I hope I can do the same for them. Alone I suppose I could do it. One other person would make me stronger. But three of us? Look out, World! Here I come.

Susan

For Such a Time As This

Once upon a time, there was a young Jewish woman named Esther. She was an orphan who had been raised by her cousin Mordecai. The king was looking for a new wife and Esther was part of the pool of virgins to choose from. Esther was chosen, but she kept her ethnicity a secret. Mordecai learned of a plot to exterminate the Jews and told Esther about it. She was the obvious choice to speak to the king. Problem was, you could not approach the king if he had not requested your presence, on penalty of death. Now you might be thinking, yes but Esther is the queen and surely he would make an exception. Wrong. Esther's predecessor had been put to death for disobeying him. Now the king had not summoned Esther in over a month. Time was of the essence and Esther could not just sit around with the concubines and wait for her opportunity. She was going to have to create her opportunity.

Mordecai said, "Who knows but that you came into the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther pondered this and made her decision. She would simply go see the king. "And if I perish, I perish." The story does have a happy ending. The king was fine with Esther coming to see him, she let him know that she was indeed Jewish, told him about this horrific plot, and she saved her people.

Who knows why we are here, at this very moment in time, at this very place? I doubt Esther was flippant when she said, "If I perish, I perish." But really aren't there some things much more important than looking out for our own interests? Isn't there a time when the choice we must make is quite obvious? And despite the personal risk involved, we just do it and then live (or die) with the consequences?

Susan