[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Monday, May 19, 2014

[Paul via Faith-talk]

Hello to you all on this Monday or, for some, a Tuesday morning, at least as this is being written.  I hope that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you are all doing well today.

Here is an article, again written by an author whose name is not given, entitled "The World's M-E-A-N-E-S-T Mother," rendered as follows:

I had the meanest mother in the whole world.  While other children ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs, or toast.  When others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich.  As you guess, my supper was different from other children's, also.

But at least I wasn't alone in my suffering.  My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times.  You'd think we were on the chain gang.  She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing.  She insisted if we said if we'd be gone an hour that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and a minute.

I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us.  Not once, but each time we did as we pleased.  Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed?

Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

While the other girls were wearing miniskirts and smoking cigarettes, we had to be little grandmas and were called old-fashioned.  Mother would not even let us go to the drive-in movies.  How could she be so mean!

My mother was a complete failure as a mother.  None of us has ever been arrested, divorced, nor have we beaten our mates.  Each of my brothers served his time in the service of his country.  Whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right--our mean mother.

The worst is yet to come.  We had to be in bed by nine each night and up early the next morning.  We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends.  So, while they slept, my mother actually had the nerve to break the child labor law.  She made us work.  We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook, and all sorts of hard things.  I believe she lay awake at night thinking up mean things to do.

She always insisted upon our telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us, and it nearly did.

By the time we were teenagers, she was wiser--and our lives became more unbearable.  None of this tooting of the car horn by the boys for us to come running.  She embarrassed us no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us.

I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old, mean mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 18.  Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to a school function.  And maybe that was twice a year.

Look what all we missed.  We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one things that other children did.

She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.

Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children.  I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean.

Proverbs 10:17, 13:24, 22:15, 23:13, 14; 29:15-17

Psalm 23:4

Ephesians 6:1-4
Deuteronomy 32:46, 47

Gospel Tract Society

Well, now you have the story of the world's meanest mother.  I can recall years ago, when I was nine and my brother George was seven, that we would run away.  Well, we decided to do just that, run away to a place called Clayton Spring about 7 miles north of where we lived at the time and across the county line.  George, being sighted, decided that we should take a canteen for water and my prayer book so we could go to church.  However, when we got to the spring itself, George had second thoughts, so we turned around and walked the seven miles back home.  And what did our mom say? Something like this, "Well, boys, we were going to go to an amusement park this evening, but, since you two boys are tired, I'll just have you go to bed for the evening." And, do you know, it worked, because our then-little legs really were tired.  As for me, I was afraid the police would find us and put us two in a jail cell, which didn't happen.  Neighbors saw this little blind boy with his sighted brother, but didn't inform Mom or Dad.  Anyway, it goes without saying that we were only too glad to go to bed.  Anyway I hope you enjoyed this article.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul