Mothering Sunday

What would an advertisement for a mother look like?

Wanted:

A mother. No experience necessary, no training given.

Hours: 24-hour shift during whole life of child.

Terms: Salary not available, but small government grant per child. Holiday and sick leave not encouraged.

Knowledge/experience: The following would be a definite advantage:

Nursing, catering, philosophy, psychiatry, religion, counselling, finance, dressmaking, computer skills, media studies (including TV repairs), finance, arts, science, sport and taxi driving, and conflict management.

Product non-exchangeable and non-returnable.

Results – unpredictable

Rewards – potentially high.

Being a mother is one of the most demanding jobs in the world. But of course it is not really a job – it is something which for millions of people around the world is a way of life. That advertisement reminds us what being a mother involves – and if you saw such a advert in a newspaper, it wouldn’t be very surprising if nobody applied.

It’s all too easy for us to forget what is involved in being a mother, especially when the tasks of motherhood, for many mothers, have to be squeezed into the gaps which are left after work is finished – both at home and, for some, outside the home as well. And the fact that a mother doesn’t get paid for looking after her children can easily make us forget that the real value of a mother’s work is far greater than any sum of money could reflect.

So Mothering Sunday is a time for giving thanks for all that our mothers do and have done for us, and for showing them that we value their care and love.

But what can we learn from the Bible about what being a mother involves? Jesus had a Mother; her name was Mary, and she worried and cared for him right up to the day that he died. Your mother worries about you because she loves you and cares for you.

So, children, on this Mothering Sunday:

Remember to thank your mother for loving you and caring for you.

Remember that your mother’s love and care for you are often costly: she will often give up a lot for you, and sometimes that isn’t appreciated enough.

Remember that just as important as saying ‘thank you’ to your mother are the things that you do for her, not just on Mothering Sunday, but every day - to show that you actually mean it.

And remember that if you advertised for a new mother, you would never get another one quite like your own.