MOTHERHOOD
MOTHERHOOD
By: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
May 12, 2012
(Written by Carolyn Sissom May 5, 1990 for an L.S.U. writing class)
Painting by: Mary Cassatt, “After The Bath”; The Cleveland Museum of Art
Motherhood, a word we so casually toss around in our everyday conversations is usually understood to mean “the state of being a mother”. The only worthwhile word in that phrase is “being” which means existence of life; one that lives or exists; a human being.” It is obvious that this description is far from adequate in the full context of motherhood.
WHAT THEN IS MOTHERHOOD?
Mary Cassatt in her painting “After The Bath” gives us a penetrating visual picture of motherhood. Mrs. Cassatt was never a mother, yet she captures this state of being” and painted the soul of motherhood.
Psalm 113:9: “He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children, Praise you the Lord.”
Mrs. Cassatt painted into this painting the mystery of the bonding of relationships surrounding motherhood. It is a “supernatural” bonding between the mother and children, between their spirits and souls. It is the miracle of nurturing that can only happen in a special moment. This moment is captured on canvas in “After The Bath.” The artist gives the viewer the gift of witnessing this miracle. The children will soon be put to bed. They will grow up.
As a mother, I remember these moments at the end of the day. I would have been physically exhausted from endless chores, and frustrations; and with coping with the demands of young children. Then there is a moment, a special time of tenderness, warmth and joy. It is a time of unity, fellowship and understanding.
These moments equip the mother with the inner courage, hope and love that will be necessary to survive the future. The teenage years lie ahead. There will be a broken heart and temporary feelings of failure. “What did I do wrong?”
However, this moment of happiness, contentment, peace and pleasure portrayed so tenderly by Mrs. Cassatt makes the awesome task of motherhood worthwhile.
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WHO IS SHE?
A woman, on whom “is placed the virtues of the race…..She is the torch carrier for morality from generation to generation”. (C.S. Lovett) She is rejected, ignored and scorned by teenagers, patronized by young adults, and tolerated by middle-aged adult children. Sometimes she is honored, other times she is used, abused and abandoned. She is the carrier of life!
HOW DOES MOTHERHOOD BEGIN?
With a womb. An egg. Impregnation. A body forms. Fingers. Ears. Nose. Knuckles. She feels the baby’s first kick. A miracle. Creation of life. Pain. Delivery. Birth. A cry. Breathe of life. A child is born. Motherhood has begun.
Nurturing. Sleepless nights. Colic. Dirty diapers. Baby powder. Joy. Completeness. Contentment. Expectation. Dreams. Prayers.
The first word. The first step. Measles. Scattered toys. “Mommy I love you more than the who-o-ole world.” Speaking in paragraphs. She waves the child off to kindergarten and off to the first pangs of independence.
She watches the child grow. “Mom, who made God?” Cries with her over hurt feelings. “Mother don’t hold my hand anymore!” Room mother. Chocolate chip cookies. Scout leader. Sunday school teacher. “Mama, why do other mothers look like teenagers?” Carpools. Swim meets. Ballgames. Homework. Outgrown sneakers. First success: “Mom I made a ‘A” on my paper.” First rejection: “Mom the boys said I couldn’t play on their team because I am a girl.” First failure: “Mom I didn’t win the blue ribbon.”
Then braces. Gut level truth. Pain. Birth of independence. Rebellion. Defiance. “Mom I hate you.” “Mom I hate myself.” “But mo-oth-er, everyone else does it.” “You’re square.” “I hate life.” “I have to have a….”
Make-up. Boys. Telephone. Tears. Proms. Laughter. Love. Diet cokes. Fads. Testing. Trying. Pushing. Resentment. Each independent act and statement cuts the tie to the mother’s heart.
Graduation. College. Maturity. “Thanks Mom!” Marriage. Another stage of motherhood has ended. The job is finished. The torch has been handed over. The life process will be carried to the next generation.
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Motherhood is feeling, loving, touching, smelling, seeing and hearing the growth of a child. She did some things right. She made some mistakes. The fortunate mothers are the ones who are forgiven. History and society will judge her depending on whether her child is a “vessel of honor or dishonor”. (11 Ti. 2:20)
She is free now to fulfill her life. No more sweaty sneakers. No more mounds of laundry. No more clothes to pick up. She is retired from active service. Another identity. Another beginning.
The memory of the pain of the teenage years fades as quickly as the memory of the pains of childbirth. She remembers those special moments “After the Bath” when she read bedtime stories, said their prayers with them, tucked them in and kissed them goodnight. “Mommy I love you more than the who-o-ole world.” Yes, she would do it all again. After all, without the pain and conflict, there can be no birth or maturing.
“Thanks Mom!”
Carolyn Sissom –May 5, 1990
Louisiana State University writing class
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May 12, 2012
The years have come and gone. Triumph. Great days of happiness. Crisis. Disappointments. Peace. Changes. Joy. Laughter. Sons. Grandchildren. Family Christmases. Good byes. Careers. Challenges. Rejection. Love and being loved. Goodness. Then a final goodbye. Continuing on loving and living life to the fullest. Trusting God in all things and believing Him for His promises not only for her children, but for the extended family and all the children of the family of God.
Isaiah 49:15-23: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget you. Behold, I have graven you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth of you. Lift up your eyes round about, and behold; all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you shall surely clothe you with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on you, as a bride does. For your waste and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed you up shall be far away. the children which you shall have, after you have lost the other, shall say again in your ears, the Place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell. Then shall you say in your heart, who has fathered me these seeing I have lost my children and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? And who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Kings shall be your nursing father, and their queens your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
Then another crisis just this past week… I watched this scripture unfold before my eyes within a 24-hour period. When the Lord brings change, there is usually upheaval and suddenlies as He turns the tables.
As a pastor, my telephone speaks loudly to me that the Lord is moving not only in my family, but in the life of all the children in the family of God. The Lord is moving "suddenly", doing his work, his "strange work", over turning the oppressers, putting things in order for His children, "for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
As is my custom in all crises, I prayed to hear from the Lord where He was in the midst of this crisis and how He was going to handle it. The crisis had to do with one of my children. I wouldn’t say I prayed, I would say I “stormed” Heaven’s gates.
He had already spoken to me through the Prophet Henry Johnson about the situation as it has been some months before the crisis actually came to a head this past week.
In a dream on Thursday night, I heard a voice speak to me. “Because you grew up in a sheltered life, you have tried to shelter your children.” Well!!!!
The kind voice did not seem to be rebuking me, just making a statement. I had to think about that and am really still thinking about it. However, I continued praying reminding the Lord that in the past, Don and I could talk over these crisis situations and now the Lord is my husband and her father and I needed him to take care of it.
Well He did! Within 24-hours, metaphorically the earth moved, the situation was turned around or better said upside down, the devil was on the run with egg on his face. The Lord moved supernaturally. I know when we are doing the work of the Lord; we are to rest in Him, but folks I was totally worn out from the swiftness of the events.
Isaiah 49 sends a clear message that those who hope in God will not be disappointed.
The vivid imagery, picturing Zion as a bereaved and barren woman about to become a bride and acquire a large family. We are the children of the Church, Jerusalem which is above.
Verses 10-12 state that the believing remnant will come from the remotest parts of the earth under the sovereign care of Jehovah and despite all obstacles. The Lord assures us that we will never be forgotten by the Lord and he will judge our oppressors even in a manner that will cause our enemies to acknowledge the power of God.
Galatians 5:19: “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…(Vs. 26) “Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that travails not; for the desolate has many more children than she which has a husband…(Vs.29) he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.”
Those children who are anointed, and born of the Spirit will be persecuted by the children of the flesh. I watched the Lord perform His work, His Strange work this past week.
The Lord has promised that we are graven upon the palms of His Hand; He will not forget us; your children will make haste; your destroyers will be made waste before you; they that swallowed you up shall be far away. This place is too narrow for me, make place for me that I may live. I will bring your sons to your bosom and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers and queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of your feet, and you shall know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for and expect me.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. and Amplified