THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

When our youngest child was around four, she learned a new word, “love.” Because we had never heard her utter that word before, Santy, then, asked her what that word meant. Instead of explaining it with more words, she just approached Santy and put her arms around Santy’s neck, and said, “love.” I bet Santy felt really special, then, and she, of course, deserved every ounce of it.

Children learn new words both formally and informally. Formally they learn new words from their teachers at school and informally, from their parents and siblings at home. Out of all the words they learn at home, I must attribute their learning of the word “love” to their mothers. From their mothers not only do they hear the word love’s being conveyed to them every day, they also see it expressed to them, be it by hugging or kissing, or by merely looking at them.

There are many important things that children will learn but the most important of all is about love. Science, technology, English, mathematics, music, all pale in comparison to love. What is the use of mastering all these subjects, if they grow up knowing nothing about love, particularly to love and to be loved? If you agree with the conclusion I make, shall we, then, say that mothers are the most important teachers among all by virtue of the fact that they teach the most important subject children will have to learn?

Mother’s Day is special not because something special happened on that day years ago. No, there is nothing special about the day itself. Mother’s Day is special simply because mothers are special. From them we came into beings and from them we learned the greatest lesson in life: love. Yes, long before our Sunday school teachers teach us about love, mothers have first loved us.

Pastor Paul