I was recently at home one weekend, on a bright, warm, and sunny spring day. I was resting in my bed when I started getting a little warm. So, I jumped out of bed and walked over to the window. As a habit, I keep my blinds shut and my windows closed. This habit developed one day after I caught a squirrel sitting on a tree branch, peeping into my bedroom window. I have a long history between squirrels and me that I rather not get into right now.
However, since this was one of the first warm days of the year, I decided to open my bedroom window. As I opened the blinds, I noticed in the tree outside my window, a very tightly woven nest on one of the branches. It was amazing to me because it looked like it was the work of a talented basket weaver. I was so impressed that I wanted to get a better look, so I raised the window.
To my surprise, inside the nest were three little blue eggs. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, the mother bird landed on the tree branch. For several seconds it was like an old western stand-off. On one side was a guy looking at the bird’s nest through a window screen. 0n the other side was a very protective mother bird that was unsure of my intentions with her babies. And in the middle were the innocent eggs inside a nest.
Then it began, the staring contest. I stood perfectly still (I have no idea why), with both eyes on the mother bird, and she stood still with one of her eyes focused on me. I’m not sure where her other eye was looking, because she was standing at a slight angle. Honestly, it felt like we stood there for several minutes, but in actuality, it was probably five seconds. However, she made the first move. She took two quick hops and sat on top of the eggs. Then she looked at me again, this time with both eyes. Although she could only see my head and shoulders, she knew that I was many times larger than her, but she didn’t care. She was going to protect her babies no matter what.
That incident got me thinking about strong and courageous mothers. In the Bible, there are several mothers who, in times of adversity, showed great courage.
The first mother I want to mention is someone that is not talked about a lot in the Bible. Her name is Hannah. Hannah was married to a man who had two wives. Although Hannah’s husband loved her very much, she had a big problem, she was barren.
In Biblical times, it was very important for women to bear children. Many women tied their ability to bear children to their worth. To make matters worst, the other wife already had several children that she bore with her husband.
Hannah desired to have a child so much that she prayed to GOD that if HE blessed her with a son, she would give him back to GOD. While she prayed, the priest, Eli, saw her lips moving, but her words were silent. He thought that she was drunk. However, after she explained that she was praying to GOD for a son, Eli told her, “Go in peace: and the GOD of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” (1 Samuel 1:17 KJV).
Hannah then conceived and bear a son. After she had weaned her son, she did what she promised. She gave him back to GOD. She took him to live with Eli the priest, and the boy eventually grew and became a great man of GOD. His name was Samuel. Samuel anointed the first two Kings of Israel and had two books of the Bible named after him.
As for Hannah, GOD eventually blessed her with five additional children.
The next example of strong mothers in the Bible is actually three women. The King of Egypt commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the Hebrew boys at birth.
However, the midwives feared GOD more than the King. The commandment from the King is not like a command from the President. A citizen can choose to disobey the President, and nothing will happen to them. However, disobeying a King can result in instant death. So, despite the King’s command, they refused to kill the boys. The King was very angry with the women, but no harm came to them. The midwives’ names were Shiphrah and Puah. (Exodus 1 KJV)
Shiphrah and Puah weren’t the only women who showed great courage during that time. Another woman who was courageous was named Jochebed. Jochebed gave birth to a son during the time of the King of Egypt’s decree, and the midwives refuse to kill him.
So, Jochebed nursed the boy for several months, until it was no longer possible to hide him from the King. So, she placed the child in a basket and put him in the river. Next, she sent her daughter to the river to see what would happen to the baby.
The King’s daughter found the baby in the water and had compassion for him. Then the child’s sister asked the King’s daughter if she wanted a Hebrew woman to nurse the boy, and the King’s daughter said, “Yes.” So, the child was placed in the care of his own mother.
Jochebed nursed the boy until he was weaned, and then the King’s daughter raised him in the King’s house. Due to her courage, Jochebed not only had a son that was raised like the son of a king, but her son also became a great man of GOD and a deliverer for his people out of slavery. His name was Moses. (Exodus 2 KJV)
There are other mothers that showed great courage in the Bible, but one of the most famous is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was unmarried, pregnant, and had a unique story. I could only imagine Mary trying to explain the story to Joseph.
Joseph, we’re not married, I’m pregnant, and GOD is the father of the baby. (This phrase is not scripture. Only the authors’ conjecture.)
I’m sure that story didn’t go over well with Joseph. That is why GOD sent an angel to tell him not to put Mary away.
But Mary showed courage before his birth, she was there when Jesus was crucified, and she was there on the day of Pentecost. Mary was a very good example of a great mother. (Matthew 1:20 KJV)
Although, there are great examples of mothers in the Bible showing courage, the moment I saw the courage of the mother bird, the first person I thought about was my own mother. The month of May is a trifecta of events for me. There’s Mother’s Day, my mother’s birthday, and since she passed away, Memorial Day. My mother was not big in stature, however, she made up for it with personality and a strong work ethic.
Why do I think my mother was so courageous? Well, the story goes back many years ago. My parents were about middle age when I was conceived. Because of her age, doctors, friends, and even family members express to her the dangers of her having a baby. They didn’t just explain all of the problems she could have, but they also explained all of the many problems the baby could have. Since I was conceived a year after the Supreme Court Decision Roe vs. Wade, many people advised her to terminate the pregnancy.
However, my mother stood up to the doctors, close friends, and even closer family members, and said, “No!” She said, “I don’t care if my child is born with disabilities or not, I will love him/her just the same.”
Well, I was born a healthy baby boy, and my mother raised, nourish, sacrificed, and loved me with all of her heart. I told her many times that I loved her, but I could never say it enough. She’s in heaven now, but one thing I’m happy I was able to do was to thank her. I said, “Mom, I want to thank you. Thank you for not listening to those who gave you the advice of terminating your pregnancy, because I didn’t want to die.”
She just sat there for a moment, and tears came to her eyes. Then she said, “No, I said I was going to keep my baby.”
No, my mother’s name is not mentioned in the Bible like the women mentioned above. However, that doesn’t diminish her importance in the world.
So, I want to wish a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Especially to my number one mom.
I Love you Dearly!
G. Edward Wyche