MOTHER:
Within yourself, I became
A living soul without a name;
An entity not yet formed,
Sheltered against outer storms,
By walls created to sustain
God’s breath of life in me–
The tiny child yearning to be.

ME: I came from you, Lord.
(For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm139:13)

ME: You knew me even before.
(“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you . . .” Jeremiah 1:5)

ME: You are the Maker of how I am being formed.
(As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5)

ME: I have been created to be a blessing from You, a gift and legacy to my parents.
(Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3)

ME: I want to live.

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How many children never had the chance to be? How many scientists, artisans, poets, doctors, teachers, preachers, disciples of the Lord have been lost to us through ABORTION? Could cancer, MS, and Alzheimers have been cured by them? Was there a great leader in their midst who might have been a peacemaker during national or international strife and war, saving thousands and even millions of lives?
Who might God have created to help mankind deal with our human frailties and problems? Yet, these babies were not given the opportunity to live.

Can we hear their cries? Can we feel their pain? Can we give them voice? We must—by praying for the “unborn” who are actual human beings with a soul instilled by the Maker who breathed life into each one of them. Let us pray for those babies who are kicking and moving inside their mothers, visually seen in ultrasounds, and heard through stethoscopes- beating hearts that must pulsate with our own to have a voice.

ME: I am here. I want to live.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 07/26/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

Hopefully, most of us have a special teacher whom we remember more than the rest. We may recall where we sat in the class, who was next to us, what course it was, the practical lessons that were taught, the more meaningful life messages that were imparted, and the relationship that existed. In retrospect, we may even see the influence in our own lives from the teaching, from the teacher.

Each one of us can have THE special Teacher in our lives Who is above all the rest . . . Imagine having the opportunity to take the elective class taught by The Teacher Jesus, the One who can impart the most powerful life messages of all time to us. We think about the cost, the other choices, and decide to take His class, not yet fully aware of the actual cost involved.

The Master Teacher welcomes us at the door, shaking our hands and introducing Himself as He has been identified before by former classmates: “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” (John 13:13). We are awed and humbled, unsure if we are worthy to enter, but His smile assures us that He wants us here.
Where should we choose to sit—up front, directly at His feet; in the middle, not that bold; in the back, still unsure of our place here? How prepared are we to listen, to take notes, to grasp the meaning?
We sit down; we listen; we hear–and we, too, are amazed like those who heard Him teach before: (28) When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, (29) because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:28-29).

The class continues on a daily basis and every day we ask: How many lessons will we recall when we return to our homes, to our jobs, to our everyday lives? How many will we actually live by? How many will we impart and share with others? The answers partially depend on what relationship we have—and continue to have– with this Teacher.

As we depart from the classroom, our “Teacher and Lord” imparts a powerful message to us: (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher” (Luke 6:40).
Have we been good students?

(Sharon G. Tate blog 07/12/15)  teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

It seemed an insurmountable task—raising a four-year-old son alone. This was not something I ever expected to happen, and, thus, was not prepared to meet at all. Having married a Christian man in the church, embracing the concept of family with both mother and father parenting, I never anticipated being a single mom. But, there I was—and there he was, a son whom I would have to be mother and father to throughout his childhood years, his pre-adolescent years, his teen years, his young adult years, and beyond. I came to realize that this definition of a single mom is fairly accurate: “She has to have four arms, four legs, four eyes, two hearts, and double the love. There is nothing ‘single’ about a single mom.” ( Mandy Hale) It wasn’t supposed to be this way though. The other arms, the other legs, the other eyes, the other heart were missing in physical presence. If we look at statistics today, we will find that the “other” –the father—is physically absent in many families in America, including Christian ones.

Such was not—is not—God’s intention for His children. His plan from the beginning was one man and one woman united in marriage: (18) The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” . . . (21) So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. (22) Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (23) The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” (24) That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2: 18, 20-24)

The unity would bring forth children, and God’s plan was for the children to have a father and a mother: (1)And God spoke all these words: (2) “I am the LORD your God . . . (12) “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Genesis 20:1-2, 12) Paul reiterates this commandment in the New Testament: (1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise. . . (Ephesians 6:1-2) The command is still applicable today.

The task of raising a son was not one that I could manage alone as his mother. I could not fulfill the role as his father. Thus, I sought help from Christian men. His granddad became my son’s dad in many respects. I met with my brothers in the church and asked them to also help me raise my son and be the male examples he needed in his life: Teach him how to correctly tie a tie, teach him how to fish and hunt, teach him how to do house repairs, teach him how to treat a girlfriend, teach him how to be a loving husband, teach him how to be a good father, and especially teach him how to be a Christian man for God.

God’s plan for the family was—and is—perfect. We are the only imperfections in the plan when we make other choices that do not honor His Word. Heartache, despair, poverty, anger, violence, brokenness, falling away from faith, and more can—and will—occur when we change His family plan. Our children’s lives, futures, and eternity are affected by our choices as parents. A single mom cannot fully fulfill both roles as father and mother; two men or two women cannot fully complete both roles as father and mother. Let us strive to follow God, the One with wisdom, in all our choices.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 07/05/2015)   teacherforjesus.com   Meditations on God’s Word