MONUMENTAL PRAISE
Teaching Your Children How To Honor Their Mother
READ
The majestic Statue of Liberty towers above the entrance to New York Harbor, a symbol
of the freedom we enjoy here in America. It was a gift to the United States from the French
government. A famous sculptor named Bartholdi devoted twenty years to producing the statue,
even investing most of his own fortune to help the French government meet expenses of the
project. From the start, Bartholdi looked for a model whose form and features he could
reproduce as “Lady Liberty.” After examining a list of famous and heroic women, he selected
the model: his own mother!
Bartholdi’s salute to his mother reminds me of a divinely-inspired affirmation to moms
and wives in the book of Proverbs.
REFUEL
Graze once again on the lush pastures of Proverbs 31:10-31. In the previous selection
from this book, you noted that diligence modeled by the Proverbs 31 lady. The verses offer a
divine salute to the various duties performed by a wife and mother. Yet the timelessness of the
text is not the specific chores performed by the Proverbs 31 woman. It is the character traits
reflected in her multi-faceted activities, and the evidence of her labors exercised in the context of
a love relationship with God.
The person who penned the female portrait in Proverbs 31 put a clincher on it in verses
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28-29: “Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also praises her, saying, ‘Many daughters
have done nobly, but you excel them all.’”
I can’t help but believe that her children honored her due to the example of their father.
He apparently created a supportive, loving climate around the house by publicly valuing her
contributions and character. The kids learned how to treat their mom by watching and hearing
their dad.
Captured in a sentence, here’s the principle: How a father treats his wife is the primary
contributing factor to how his children treat their mom.
REFLECT
Remember how Bartholdi honored his mother?
Husbands, you can serve as construction site foreman and help your kids “build a
monument” to the lady of the house by finding creative ways to express appreciation for her
contributions and traits. One dad I know helped his early adolescent son write the following the
poem when mom was bedridden with an illness:
Taken For Granted
Some moms get taken out to dinner
at a restaurant fit for a queen.
Then they’re taken where waists get thinner- to a spa that can make them lean.
Others get taken on a second honeymoon,
or a cruise to a place enchanted.
But moms like you, more often than not,
just get taken for granted!
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If neither you nor the kids can make words rhyme, look for other ways to “build a
monument” to honor the lady of the house. Does one of the following ideas grab you?
* Empty Envelope. Lick a stamp and put it in the corner of a letter envelope. Write her
name and address on the envelope. Go ahead and seal the envelope. Yea, I know it’s empty. Just
follow directions. On the back of the envelope jot down these words: “Inside this envelope you’ll
discover what our lives would be without you.” (Be sure to involve your kids and explain the
meaning of the project.) Them mail it. (Empty...get it?)
* First-class Gratitude. This time put a letter in the envelope. Start the note with the
words, I thank God for you because ______________________________________. Think of
specific ways to fill in the blank. Then help your kids finish the sentence, in their own
handwriting if possible.
* Sumptuous Spread. Reserve a table at her favorite restaurant. During the meal, each of
you take turns telling one thing you appreciate about her. (One more thing. Don’t give her the
check!)
* Surprise Symbol. Take the kids to a Christian bookstore or a craft shop. Together, pick
out a wall plaque or other decorative item for the house. When you present the gift to your wife
and their mother, tell her it’s a concrete way of thanking her for her contributions to the family.
Every time she sees it, she’ll realize that her work isn’t taken for granted.
Questions for Carry-over:
* In what other ways can you and your kids “build a monument” to recognize your
wife’s worth?
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* How do you react when one of the children show disrespect to their mother? How
should you react?
REMEMBER
Take your kids’ mother somewhere - - just don’t take her for granted!
REQUEST
Father, thank you for the positive qualities I see in my wife, and in my kids’ mom. Make
me more sensitive to ways I can expedite her continued spiritual growth. And increase my
sensitivity to how what I say and do in relation to her affects my kids’ attitude toward her. In the
name of Your Son, who arranged for His mother’s care while He was dying on the cross. Amen.