Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday May 16, 2006

Thankfully I survived another holiday. I am not a good holiday person and thus am deeply thankful for Romans 14:5. The latest time of extreme danger that I faced and overcame was Mother's Day. Each year I promise myself that next year, as the sun rises I will travel the hundreds of miles, most likely in a covered airplane to spend the weekend with my aged mother. Mother being 92 years of age will not be around much longer to pay homage to, so the deep inner need to do such now. And each year I wake up on Mother's Day, and spend it with the mother of my children.

Mom is not a 'smother' but a mother who tried to teach her brood the importance of trusting the Lord, she did this in the best way she knew, and most of my religious friends would be appalled at her often unbiblical methods, but she meant well. I can still hear her saying, "Larry, will you quit asking so many questions, go outside and play in the road." Now before you get all bent out shape, the road was a dirt one and the only time of day it was really dangerous was at 6:30 AM and 4:30 PM when Happy Harper went roaring by. Happy held the record for speed coming off of Red Hill, through Farr Creek and crossing the old iron bridge and making a successful turn on the West side of the bridge. Many a car was wrecked and a few lives lost by younger men trying to beat Happy's record.

Other than Happy the worst thing that could happen was for some stranger to come upon several of us children playing in the middle of the road, and due to his or her ignorance about how things were, they would cuss at us and tell us to move. If we thought mom was where she couldn't hear, we would share a few of the words we had learned with the stranger. Such was life. My children for the most part missed such practical orientation to the realities of life.

Of course when I came to manhood and Christ saved me, I knew I had to take a more formal track in the education of any children that I might sire. I think that somehow they missed something.

And then as a Christian 'minister' as mom is want to say, I learned of the church adopting the role of 'Mother' church. All churches attempt to assume this role, regardless of their name. Tragically too many churches are operating 'Smothering' ministries and the proof is in the weak watery' pudding.

Most clergypersons do not mind listening to the real troubles of our congregants, but I have yet to meet such a religious person who breathlessly awaits the next 'whining' session. I often wish I had mom's courage and would just say to the whiners with whom I deal something like mom's psychological wisdom, "Larry if the beer you sneak from Bill gives you a headache, don’t whine to me." Now this type of on point advice will shorten the whining line.

Dorothy Fisher wrote:

"A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary."

Dorothy was born in 1879 so I assume she learned this wisdom while playing in the middle of the dirt road in front of her house. The need for such divine Motherly advice is well documented.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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