The Strength of a Mother

How do you even begin to describe the strength of a mother? There are so many words and ways to describe a mother especially our own mother yet if we try to fathom the various qualities of a mother, pages would not be enough and even a lifetime will not be time enough. So where do we start? How can we describe ‘her’ best? Today, I want to pay my tribute to all mothers and my mother especially by trying to delineate a mother’s very essence in the simplest way and according to my own perceptions.

I truly believe that the one word which would describe a mother and her strength is ‘LOVE’. It is here that she receives and emanates all her incredible strength. It is this ‘love’ that makes her a compassionate and a selfless person. A cliché I cannot resist but use is that she is a ‘reflection of God’s love for us’. Unconditionally she gives everything to her children. Her strength is not measured in terms of sinewy muscles or biceps etc but her strength lies in the gentleness and quietness of character, her faith and trust in the Lord, her ability to be a great teacher and a spiritual guide, her endurance, her ability to forgive……she does not feel ashamed or afraid to seek help for her family and wants only the best for her children. All these qualities are encompassed in her ‘LOVE’.

Many great mothers and their diverse individuality are portrayed at length throughout the Bible. Mary, the mother of Jesus, a great woman of faith, raised her son to fulfill his calling. Hannah, trusted God and the Lord heard her prayer and blessed her with a son, who she gave over to the Lord as she promised. Since Hannah was faithful and a wonderful mother, we learn that God blessed her with even more children. Then 2 Kings 4:1 tells us about a certain woman whose husband had died and was in debt. She had nothing to offer but her sons for slavery and no mother would want their children to be slaves. So she swallowed her pride and cried out to Elisha for help and by the power of God, Elisha was able to help the destitute woman. The mother of James and John wanted the best for her sons. She wanted Jesus to give her sons a seat next to him in his Kingdom. Moses’ mother shows us that the determination and ingenuity of a desperate mother can result in surprising result. Moses knew about his people and about God. He had definitely learned it from his mother, and her teachings stuck with him throughout his life.  All these mothers had one thing similar `LOVE’ and it was the immense love for their children that made them what they are.

My mother may just be one among the many mothers in the world, but she is the only woman who is and can be ‘my mother’. I cannot help but describe her because it is through her that I have learnt and seen the special qualities that God has given the mothers. She is a simple retired clerk enjoying her pensioned life, satisfied to be at home, taking care of the house, making sure the house is a home, full of love and warmth, when her children and grandchildren come to her. She is someone who has no regrets sacrificing her career by refusing promotions many times because it meant being transferred to another place away from her family. As a child, I remember her trying to stretch the salary to meet the monthly expenses of a large family. Despite her hectic schedule, she would always have the time to help me with my bible memory recitations. She is never too busy to help any of us. She would rather look into our needs than hers. She would swallow her pride so that her family would not suffer. I have seen her enduring many situations, hardships and experiences of life with such calm faith in God that I, now as a matured woman, can only look at her with amazement. She has journeyed with all of us in our bumpy life’s journey. All along, she has cried happy tears and sad tears too. She feels our pain and carries our burdens. She is our greatest ally. And most of all her love for us can only be compared to the love of our heavenly father. To know that she is praying for us at all times is a comfort that envelopes us wherever we go. My mother has taught us to fear, love and serve God at all times, to forgive, to be patient, to be truthful, to be kind and compassionate. She is the best living example for us when it comes to learning the valuable lessons of sharing and generosity. Her greatest advice is to always know and serve God in whatever capacity and to trust Him no matter what the circumstances.

I may have appeared to be praising my mother and painting a picture of a person larger than life by listing only the good qualities. Of course! She does have her flaws and limitations and that makes her more human and normal like any other, a real person. When I was younger, in all my ignorance, I would, most of the time, see only the defects, but now I have realized that though she is not perfect, she wanted to make us perfect human beings worthy in the sight of God. And the superhuman strength that she seems to possess comes from her ‘LOVE’ for us.

This, ‘LOVE’, then is the core of a mother’s strength. Her love drives her, strengthens her, motivates her, sustains her and moves the world. The world may describe a woman to be frail, delicate, fragile, helpless, defenseless, slight, insubstantial, weaker sex etc. but these qualities do give a unique beauty and exquisiteness to a woman. Without all these she cannot be a ` woman’ and yet underneath all this façade of vulnerability is a reservoir of incredible strength that oozes and radiates through her love. It is this special unique package `mother’ that we all love and admire for everything that she is. May God bless all mothers!

Written by Ajungla Jamir