Mothers who weren't our mothers . . .

We actually had a fun weekend and I want to write a weekend review but decided to do this first. I actually used this as our adult Sunday School lesson yesterday in the class I teach.

2 Timothy Chapter 1 Verses 5-7

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

I don’t know the relationship that you had with your own grandmothers or your own mother, but in addition to those relationships, I imagine that you have experienced spiritual mothers along the way - those women who mothered us even though they didn't birth us.

My dad’s mom was a member of Rock Methodist Church in Tarrant, Alabama. I remember her quilting friends and other lady friends who would come to visit. She loved to cook for us and I remember spending the night at her house. My mother had a strange relationship with her own mother. This Granny was very poor and I remember going to her house and she didn't have indoor plumbing! 

My mom's mom

My own mother loved Jesus and she loved us. She taught 3 year old Sunday School for years. When she was diagnosed with cancer and was approaching death, it was so important to her for my daddy to be baptized so that they could re-united in heaven some day. He was baptized and I was old enough that I still remember that night. Those of you who have heard my story know that my mother died when I was 15 – when I was a Sophomore in high school. I was called out of class by the principal and told that I was needed at home. I had walked home for lunch earlier that day and my momma had whispered, “I love you” to me and those were the last words she spoke. She died just an hour or so later.

Momma when she was young

Momma holding me and my two older sisters

After she died, I never lacked for a spiritual mother. My best friend's mother, Inez, and another friend's mother, Mrs. Parker, both took me under their wings and met different needs in my life. Inez and her husband, Herb, took me on trips all over the place - from visiting family in other towns to a cruise. Inez taught small groups that I was a part of. She nurtured me in so many ways. Due to that relationship, I was asked to speak at Inez's funeral and was honored to do so.

Karen and her momma, Inez

The Parker family had 5 children of their own, but the summer following my mom's death, they purchased an extra pool pass and the name on that pool pass was my first name and their last name. They also gave me a surprise 16^th birthday party and it was the first birthday party I ever had in my life.

Mrs. Parker

There were three couples who were active in the young adult ministry in my home church. Even though they were actually quite young themselves, they loved me and mothered me and taught me more about Jesus. They loved Jesus and they loved me.

Let me tell you about my next door neighbor when I was in my young 20’s. Her name was Agnes and she was amazing. I was going through a really rough time and she would cook breakfast for me and make me come over to her house and eat with her. She checked on me all the time.

I came to Trinity when I was 23 years old and went to the young adult Sunday School class. The mother of one of the other participants took me under her wing. She taught me to never say, “I’m bored” because there is always something to do. I was snowed in at their house for 3 days and I had never even seen real silver before and over those three days I learned to polish lots of silver.

Not long after I came to Trinity, the single’s class grew and became the Christian Singles class and our teacher was Dale Sibley and she had a direct line to Jesus. She loved us unconditionally. 

Dale

Mark and I were dating and soon married and I cried because we had to find a new class. We married in May of 1984 and the John Wesley class started in September of 1984 and we were charter members. A young couple – Polly and Jack Allison became our class parents. Jack taught and Polly mothered us. I vividly recall standing in their small kitchen talking about parenthood and marriage and all the things. We could ask her anything. Nothing was off limits.

Mark’s mom stepped in as a mother figure in my life. She and I had long phone conversations almost every day. She taught me how to entertain and how to bake and cook. She modeled what it was like to read the Bible every day and to be in Christian fellowship with friends.

Somewhere along the way, I got older – haha! I’m not sure I’m a good example, but I try to be for our kids and granddaughters. We’ve had 100’s of young adults through our house over the last 14 years and I hope that Mark and I have both been spiritual parents to some of them. Actually, I know we have been.

So what about you? Tell me about some of the spiritual mothers in your life? Who played an important role in your life?