In a “Snuffy Smith” cartoon, the minister looks surprised to see Snuffy and one of his friends at church, so he asks, “Well now, what brings you fellers to church on this glorious Sunday?” Snuffy replies, “Ain’t it obvious, parson?!” and jabs his thumb backwards, towards two wives who obviously drug their husbands kicking and screaming to church that morning. The comic strip, though set in fiction, drives at something real: There is no limit to the good a faithful woman can do.
How many men and children are in church on Sundays because of the influence of their wives and mothers? Too many, perhaps, to tell. Countless preachers, elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, and other church leaders started their journey of faithfulness with a mother’s gentle hand on their shoulder. In many cases, the story of a great Bible character begins with a mother. Where would Samuel be without Hannah? Or John without Elizabeth? Or Timothy without Lois and Eunice? Or Jesus without Mary? Elisha must have been raised by a wonderful woman, for before he left with his mentor Elijah, he pleaded, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you” (1 Kings. 19:20). Continue reading »