Sample Articles

Extra from Volume 9#4 by Christianna H.

“Is there anything the matter?” She asked quietly, as I dragged myself moodily into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

“Oh nothing much,” I answered trying to sound cheerful.

“I don’t believe that,” came the reply, “will you tell me what it really is?”

I twiddled my fingers nervously. Though grateful that my mother cared enough to notice I was not myself, I was embarrassed to tell her my problem. Crushes are embarrassing, especially when they don’t go away, and the last thing I wanted to do was to tell any one about it. Maybe she could give me some help, one part of me reasoned, what if she is just shocked that I could think such things and thinks I’m a horrible sinner, then she’s just going to give me a lecture, what if she’s never been through this and can’t help me? The other part of me replied.

These thoughts, believe it or not, did indeed come up in my head, but thankfully I had gotten into the habit of telling my mother everything since I was about eleven, and so I eventually told her my problem. I was glad I did too, she understood my problem perfectly, and gave me a few very helpful hints. As for my being a horrible sinner, well, she already knew that, and she knew I already knew it, no need for any lectures!

I am thankful that God kept those communication lines open, while I was young so that it was easier for me as I reached my more turbulent teen years and wanted to talk about more turbulent issues. It has been such a blessing to me at all times.

I want to encourage you right now to establish your mothe ras your closest confident and mentor. Here are three reasons why:

1. Your mother knows you the best.

She gave birth to you, she raised you, she saw those things about you which nobody else ever saw and probably never will see, she saw your personality unfold as you grew up. Who else better to help you through your troubles than the one who knows you best?

If a mechanic wants to fix a car, he must first know all about that car and what makes it work before he can properly address the problem. So too, a mentor must know his “mentoree” fully before he can really help him out. But you don’t have to introduce yourself to your mother, she doesn’t have to spend a lot of time trying to note all your quirks because she’s already done all that just by raising you! How much better can it possibly get than that?

2. Your mother will tell you the truth.

Imagine walking into church wearing a beautiful white dress, every one you walk by looks at that dress and raises an eyebrow, some laugh, but nobody says anything and they all try to act as though nothing were the matter. Then you get home and take off the dress and see that all the time you were wearing the dress with a huge stain down the back. You brought a coat with you and could have covered it up if only someone had told you about it, but they were all just too polite! You would be annoyed to say the least. Now I think that in most churches someone would be thoughtful enough to take you aside and let you know about the stain on your dress.

But when it comes down our spiritual garments, we often have blind spots that we don’t realize; everyone else notices it but they are just too polite to tell you. That should frustrate us too, how can we deal with the sin in our lives if we don’t know where it’s most besetting us at that moment? Your mother loves you and wants the best for you so much that she will let you know when she sees that stain in your spiritual life. Especially if she knows that you want her to. Just ask her now and then what she thinks you need to be working on at present, she will love you enough to tell you the truth!

3. Your mother will always have time for you.

You and your siblings are your mother’s work, you are her labor in progress, I don’t have to make an appointment. If I have a serious problem I need to talk to her about, she makes it a priority to talk to me as soon as she finishes the task that she is immediately working on, sometimes I don’t even have to wait that long. I’m sure your mother will do the same for you. She wants your heart, she wants you to be right with the Lord, she wants you to be happy and at peace. She’ll never be too busy to sit down and help you straiten things out. After all, isn’t that what she’s there for?

For some of you if you haven’t really ever shared anything with your mother, starting all at once can be difficult, and fearful. But I would encourage you to do it any way. In “The Pilgrims Progress”, There were to lions on either side of the way through which he had to pass, when far away they looked free and ready to pounce on him, but as he drew near he saw that they were indeed chained as the porter told him, and as long as he stayed in the middle of the path they could do him no harm. So it is often times with our fears, they are indeed frightening when we have not examined them closely, but once we have done so, we find them harmless. So, go tell her next time you are in trouble, ask her to tell you when she sees those stains in your life, go to her right away. You’ll never regret it.

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