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The hand that rocks the cradle....

This is probably my favorite 'Willow Tree' sculpture. I have  written of her in a previous post many months ago, but she merits more than one appearance & more than one expression.  

Her name is 'Sanctuary'. Her name is also 'Motherhood'. & she's holding the future & the world in her arms.

Motherhood today is so undermined, made to look so unimportant, devalued, even unnecessary & may become obsolete in the world if those of us who are veterans do not rescue it & put it back on the  meritorious place where belongs. The true mothers of the world are becoming an 'endangered species' because of the lies that are perpetrated of the value of our calling, which is to give birth. & that birthing goes on one way or another for our entire lives. We are the great awakeners in our childrens' lives. It is not only quality, but quantity of time. There is a saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child.' Well, no, it doesn't. It takes a mother. The mother whose child's life becomes her own. She is the village herself. She is the life-giver, the in house care-giver. She's the school, the police, the librarian, the marketplaces, the teacher, the nurse, the transportation, the protector, the restaurant, the laundramat, the spiritual guide & the teacher & enforcer of wholesome & godly character, teaching her children to be assets to society, to be  compassionate, sacrificial givers by her own example. & no one, NO ONE, can take her place or do her job. It is specifically & uniquely designed by our Creator to be exclusively done by you, the mother for your children.

My nineteen year old daughter & I were having lunch one day at a favorite place & a woman came up to her (personally I think she was sent from the dark side 👿!) asked her where she went to school, & when my daughter told her she was homeschooled, she openly ridiculed her. Then the woman asked what she wanted to do with her life & my daughter replied that she wanted to be a wife, homemaker & mother, the woman threw back her head & laughed sarcastically & said, "oh you can do better than that!" Actually, I was so taken aback that it momentarily left me speechless. The woman left almost immediately,  an elderly lady, at least in upper seventies, so in respect to her age, I let it pass. (although I could not believe the rudeness of actions & words.) But this woman spoke what I believe our whole culture in some way or other believes. Being a mother is way down on the list of having any societal value. A young Christian in her twenties was giving me a list of merits & accomplishments of her siblings, quite impressive. Except for one of the girls who was married to her brother, who was a little slow so she really couldn't do anything besides being a wife & mother. Now this one I did not let go. "Yes, we're just a bunch of no-brainers..." etc. Of course, she was greatly embarrassed when she realized her faux pas. But I don't think it changed her thinking which is presumptuous & even sad. & you can see the denigration of motherhood,

  "Denigrate: to deny the validity or importance of"

when girls are asked what career they want upon graduation from high school. Have you ever heard the girl say "I want to be a wife & mother." ?  which would be tantamount to saying, "Oh I want to live on welfare, eat pizza & icecream & watch soap operas, & live a totally lazy & unproductive life." 

But for the girl who says she wants to be a lawyer, an astronaut, a police officer, a soldier, ( I'll talk about those in another post) a doctor, or whatever as long as it's not a wife or mother, she is hailed & lauded as a true example of womanhood, an honest asset to the world, a she-ro.

But who will change the dirty diaper? Who will kiss away the hurts, the tears? Who will fight the bears that come to steal or hurt her cubs? Who will bandage the skinned knee or assuage the broken heart? Who will teach her to sew & cook? Who will teach him to ride a bike, to honor & respect womanhood because she is one? Who will tuck the little ones in at night? & sometimes the big ones? Who will read the bedtime stories & sing the lullabies? Who will stay up all night with the sick one, crooning the little love songs? Who will teach these precious ones to pray, to know Jesus as their Savior & then later,  staying up all night praying for that same child who has wandered from the fold. Who will welcome the prodigal back home without accusation, to her own longing mother-arms. Who will give the time, time & more time, quantities & quantities? Who will let the children know that they are worthy of that  time? Who will give the tag of 'priceless',  to the little humanity in her home. Who will give the security & stability to the children of knowing that their mother did not really give up a 'career', that she joyfully & most willingly chose them, her divine & precious calling, her true 'career'. 

& who will rock the cradle?

"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"

by William Ross Wallace

"Blessings on the hand of women.

Angels guard it's strength & grace.

In the palace, cottage, hovel

Oh no matter where the place.

Would that never storms assailed it

Rainbows ever gently curled

For the hand that rocks the cradle

is the hand that rules the world.

Infancy's the tender fountain

Power may with beauty flow

Mother's first to guide the streamlets

From them souls unresting grow-

Grow on for the good or evil,

Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman, how divine your mission

Here upon our natal sod,

Keep, oh keep the young heart open

Always to the breath of God!

All true trophies of the ages 

Are from mother-love impearled,

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women

Fathers, sons & daughters cry,

& the sacred song is mingled

With the worship in the sky!

Mingles where no tempest darkens

Rainbows evermore are hurled

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

See how sacred & divine our Mother-mission is?! We are truly one-of-a-kind, we Mothers. Each of us. Don't let anyone but Jesus define your calling & Motherhood because it will set & keep you free. Be the sanctuary, the mother you were called to be. Wear your Mother-merit badge proudly. You couldn't bless your planet any better than giving it children who are world-shapers, who bring life because they are good, moral, hardworking, wholesome, godly, loving, true-hearted men & women. Here's to the cradle rockers of the world. We wield a powerful influence! & we truly do rule the world! So let us rule in the Maker of our Motherhood's identity. Jesus, always. Jesus, where true Motherhood is born & thrives, where we live & move & have our being, as we rock our precious cradles.                                                  💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕       

Raintree Perk of the Day:

           "What if raising & instilling values in my children & turning them into worthwhile human beings would be the most important contribution I ever made in my lifetime?"  Erma Bombeck