2015 | Week of May 4 – #1096

The US Supreme Court case on marriage, the National Day of Prayer this Thursday, Mothers’ Day this Sunday. They’re all important. Actually, I think they are all related.

In this day of rampant fatherlessness, we talk a great deal about fathers being irreplaceable in the lives of their children. The truth is, mothers are irreplaceable too. Mine certainly was.

I’m adopted. By His grace and in His sovereignty, God gave me to Bob and Mary Appling. At some point it became pretty obvious I was adopted. I eventually shot up to 6’ in height. My adoptive mother was a veritable pygmy, having to stretch to make it to 5’ tall. Funniest thing, though, while I towered over my mother by at least third grade—and my brother was also considerably taller than mom—she didn’t let that stop her at all from administering appropriate discipline to us, whenever and wherever it was needed.

I never doubted my mother loved me. She showed it in so many ways. Putting me and my needs before her own, making sure I had what I needed to grow up to be the kind of woman she knew God wanted me to be. Any shortcoming I assure you is not my mother’s fault; I assume full responsibility for my many, many failures.

Mom stayed home with me and my brother while Dad worked. She kept house, kept up with us, kept after the dog and kept Dad happy. She taught Sunday School in our church, was a great neighbor, volunteered for numerous causes, both political and charitable, and even the ones I volunteered her for. In addition, she entertained friends and business acquaintances with flair, entered winning floral arrangements in garden club contests, helped people every chance she had and eventually helped with our homework and attended every concert, play, ball game and horse show we ever were in. She read to me, listened to me, played with me, laughed with me, corrected me, argued with me, and did I say listened to me?

Somehow in the midst of being a busy mom and wife, she also had time to make Dad feel special. I remember so many times of her disappearing shortly before Dad would come home from work and reappearing with her clothes changed, her make up freshened and her hair redone. She never said anything about that, but I eventually figured out that wasn’t because she felt grungy, but because her man was coming home—and she simply wanted to look her best and be her best for him.

She was my cheerleader, my advisor, my role model, my pray warrior, my mom. Nothing could replace her. We lost her to Alzheimers 13 years ago—and I miss her every day. I wish I had even just one more Mothers’ Day to honor and celebrate her.

Now, that’s a bit of my story.  What about your mom? How irreplaceable is or was she? I know. Some people have moms who are selfish, mean, and cruel. And that’s tragic; it shouldn’t be that way. Fortunately, that’s not the case for most people. So, how are you preparing to celebrate your irreplaceable mom this Sunday?

Last week the US Supreme Court heard arguments from attorneys defending one man and one woman marriage. Part of those arguments included making the case that children need both a mother—female—and a father—male—in order to become healthy, well-adjusted, productive adult citizens. We were part of a friend-of-the-court brief that spent 37 pages making the case that both mothers and fathers play irreplaceable, unique roles in the lives of children.

Will the court consider that a weighty argument, or will they believe that two mothers or two fathers are just fine for kids? Are they getting ready to say that moms are replaceable or that fathers are replaceable in the lives of children? How tragic it would be for the government to determine that either a mom or a dad is not necessary, is not vital in the lives of boys and girls. The government is replaceable, but not moms and dads.

This Thursday is National Day of Prayer. Whether or not you attend a community event or join us at noon at the State Capitol, may I encourage you to pray for our nation and our state in a special way this Thursday? Pray for the Supreme Court justices to make the right decision, to recognize that mothers and fathers are not replaceable. Pray for families—especially for Christian fathers and mothers to be strong in the midst of great pressures today to give in to the world’s way.

A Supreme Court case, National Day of Prayer and Mothers’ Day—they all go together in my mind. Moms are simply irreplaceable, the Supreme Court should recognize that, and we need to pray to that end.

This is Julaine Appling for Wisconsin Family Council reminding you the prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”