As we celebrate Mother’s Day this month, my heart is turned to the scripture that has inspired me as a wife and mother. Titus 2:3-5. There have been, in the past and the present, women in our lives that God has placed for a specific purpose to teach us, encourage us, bless us, and bring meaning to the mess we sometimes find ourselves stepping into as wives and mothers.
When you were young, your mother or grandmother or aunt took you under her wings and taught you the value of cooking a fresh healthy meal to bless family and friends; to get into the outdoors to find the Creator of the Universe and his majestic artwork displayed for all to see; to roller skate with such abandon you thought you would fly through the air, free, no need for wings; to face your fears when everything in you ceased to function; to appreciate staying up late to catch up on all things family, life, and relationships and how God is guiding us through these adventures every step of the way.
A Titus 2 Woman is the epitome of God’s sovereign guidance to show the way to Excellent Womanhood and Motherhood. How blessed we are that our Lord purposed to place ladies in our lives to share their ups and downs, successes and failures to let us know:
1] We have all been there and it’s going to be all right
2] don’t let the hard times knock you down, and
3] You Can Do It!
A Titus 2 Woman is one who will tell you, in all honesty, you’re going to have days that are great! AND you are going to have days that simply stink. Know this, your response to those days will matter. Your gradual growth into the Titus 2 woman, striving each time you are faced with challenge, and how you choose to react and handle each, will only get better and better.
So many of us moms minister to the hearts of our children the Fruits of the Spirit. But, many times we forget, in the craziness of life, to operate in them ourselves. For me, I am so blessed to have these Titus 2 women who have come along side of me to share their experiences. Now when chaos roars, I remember what they experienced and I learn from their stories and try to implement them. I am not always the best Help Meet to my husband. I struggle every day to be the wife God has called me to be. I am also not the Mother of the Year. But, I never give up trying to be the best I can be.
Some years ago my Grandmother passed after living 96 years. I spent every summer, many Spring Breaks and Thanksgiving’s with her in her home. She was the first Titus 2 Woman in my life and never missed a time to share her heart and experiences with me, instructing me in whatever situation I was in. I could be completely honest with her and she would never judge me, only share the truth in love with me. At her passing I wrote this poem in honor of her Titus 2 ministry to me. I pray that someday I can honor her memory by being to my daughter and granddaughters what she was to me.
Who are the Titus 2 Women in your life? How have you honored them for being the inspiration you needed, at just that right timing? Call them. Send them a note of thanks. Let them know you appreciate them pouring into your life and guiding you along the way.
Bless you Mommas!