MOTHERS

Sermon Notes, May 11, 2014

Major Will Cundiff

Major Will spoke on Mother’s Day.  His wife, Sue, read the scriptures, from Proverbs 31 and 1 Corinthians 13.

His first point was that motherhood begins at conception.  He told of a surgeon who was closing the spine of a baby, in the womb, who had spina bifida.  During the procedure, the baby wrapped its hand around the doctor’s finger, as if to say “Thank you.”  He also told the story of Michael, 3, whose mom prepared him for the birth of his baby sister, telling him he was going to be a big brother.  Michael sang to her every day at their mom’s knee: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”  However something went wrong, and the baby was born early, via caesarean section.  She was not thriving, and the parents were worried that she wouldn’t make it.  Michael was allowed into the NICU to see his baby sister.  He started singing, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine . . . please don’t take my sunshine away.”  The baby began to respond, and from then on her condition improved, and they were able to take her home.

Many mothers have sacrificed and even died for their children.  He told of a Christian church in another country being attacked by guerrillas during the service.  When the attack was over and the carnage was assessed, rescuers found a young child, still alive, under the body of his mother.  Psalm 91:4 talks about how God will be our refuge; he’ll cover us with his wings.

Holiness is motherhood expressed to its highest order.  Major Will told about his grandparents who owned a small parcel of land in West Virginia.  It was bounded on all sides by a mean neighbor, who wanted to buy their property.  They didn’t want to sell—they were able to make a living—and provide for their family—by raising leghorn chickens.  One Sunday, they drove their family to church in the horse and buggy, and when they came home, they noticed white lumps scattered all over their yard.  As they got closer, they realized the lumps were their chickens, dead.  They’d gone through a hole in the fence and the neighbor wrung their necks, one at a time, and threw them back in the yard.  The family could have angrily confronted the neighbor, but they didn’t.  Instead they processed them for cooking, and Grandma fried chicken.  There was no refrigeration in those days, and the family couldn’t eat it all.  So she made a platter and took it to the neighbor.  When he saw what they’d done, he repented in tears, and turned his life over to Jesus.  He became a Christian because the grandparents acted in love rather than anger.

 Congratulations to all mothers, for surviving and for nurturing.  There are many methods of motherhood.  Stop and think: God chose her for you, and you for her.  It’s a match made in heaven.  Consider God, motherhood, and your relationship with Him.