I wanted to do this, to rise up and call my mother blessed. I love my mama. I have known her all my life. I could say many things about her, but here is one significant thing. She and Dad raised us to know Jesus, to love Truth, to value human lives and souls. She taught us at home and brought us out into the culture to engage for the kingdom of God.
Even now, as an adult myself, when I head down to hand out tracts in the open air, preach outside a strip club, call on leaders to abolish abortion, or engage at child sacrifice centers (abortion mills), things my mother taught me come to mind. I recall how she brought her children up, taking us with her to share the Gospel with the lost.
She led us up to drug houses, to give Gospel tracts to the men there, to invite their children to Bible clubs in our backyard. She encouraged my siblings and me to share the Gospel, and put us in front of groups, with things to teach, while we were still children. She took us and other youth in the church to teach Bible clubs all over the Kansas City area, including some of the roughest parts.
At one club, on the last day, a gang threatened to beat up anyone who came to club. Throughout the club time, a man on drugs up in a second story window had a gun trained on our group sitting in the playground of the apartment project with rock music blaring in his ears. In the middle of the club time, a gang fight broke out in the parking lot next to us.
My mom calmly led the example and we teens of the teaching crew followed, so that the ones who were not teaching at any given time would sit on the perimeter of the club, positioning ourselves between the violence and the children and adults who sat listening. That way, anything that may be thrown or such, would be more likely to hit us rather than the clubbers. I remember hearing roars of anger and screams of fear and pain from those involved in the fighting, but kept my eyes steady on the club, knowing that if I looked back, that the children would too. If I saw a little one's eyes turn toward the hostility, I would catch their gaze, smile reassuringly, and motion with my eyes towards the teacher. It was as if the Lord brought a peace to our hearts in the middle of the danger and tumult.
While the fighting behind me continued to rage, my little mother stood up and taught the Bible lesson of the day on the life of Timothy, declaring passionately the truth of God's word concerning the way of salvation in Jesus Christ alone, in living devoted to Him and His word, and challenged the hearers to be ready to stand for Jesus, willing to suffer and die for the name of Jesus, if necessary.
The Lord preserved the lives of everyone in that gathering that day, and I remember afterward seeing at least twenty clubbers of various ages, sitting in the grass, talking to counselors about the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and how to live courageously in Him, even as the lights of squad cars flashed in the lot, and police officers were questioning and arresting participants in the violence.
Yes, she and my father taught us children to stand for the truth, and to love people, no matter the cost.
So grateful for the mother that God used in my life and also so thankful for my virtuous wife who is mother in the lives of our children!
Abortion must be abolished.
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