A Mother Teresa’s Heart
Mothering Sunday
-Let’s look at her life
-Her Passions
-Her Ambitions
-Her Style
How can we apply this to our lives?
It’s Mothering Sunday did you know this is what it’s called in England and there is special cakes made for Mothering Sunday. It is custom to take one of these cakes to your mother.
Well, it’s Mother’s Day and men you know that we women are very emotional people- go ahead you can say your Amen now! Mother’s Day is a very emotional day to some of us. I can remember being at the old Highway Temple on King St. on Mother’s Day. That little washroom was filled with teary eyed moms, hugging and consoling each other. It’s a day of mixed emotions isn’t it?
Some of us have children that have walked away from the Lord and we’re still praying for them. Will they remember what day it is, will they call or maybe they are just too busy with life to remember.
Some of us wanted to be a mother and naturally it just never happened. Some were able to be blessed by adopting your children- what a gift for both of you. Others, that hole is still a void.
Some of us have lost a child and this day brings back hurt and memories- maybe we don’t want to acknowledge this day. I remember the first Mother’s Day after we lost ours; due just before Mother’s Day. We prepared ourselves for the worst. Having the nurses taking us aside and telling us that sometimes things like this just happens, maybe the baby had some deformities etc….After having our baby, they brought the baby in for us to see. I still see this picture so clear curled up in the fetal position. There was my perfect baby; its head was shaped just like Michael’s and we both counted its perfect 10 little toes and fingers- no visible deformities. The autopsy later revealed the cause of death was starvation.
As I look over all the women here today you are all mothers. We are all born with this mothering instinct in us. An example of this is in my daycare I have a doll buggy. The boys get a hold of it and they ram it, banging it into whatever is in its way, furniture, walls etc….The girls will put their babies in it and cover them gently, with a gently mothering stroll off they go. It’s already there.
I think of Ruth Stenbridge, Ruth we honor you today. No, I know that physical you didn’t have children, but for those that don’t know you you mothered many years teaching Sunday school. You poured yourself into each and every child planting seeds that are still there today. Your crown of glory.
For some this is a hard day because you have lost your mom. I think of Patty and her family, the Carkner’s and the Hamelin’s. This is the first Mother’s Day without mom. We are praying for you.
As I was trying to put this altogether I was thinking of the women in my life, and now that I am a couple of years away from being able to join “young at heart”, thinking of what I want my home to be to my family. And now that we are Opa and Oma to a second beautiful granddaughter, what do I want for Charly and Meya.
And having to realize that soon my baby will be leaving, off to school we go. I have well informed Michael already that I will not handle that very well- so be prepared.
The family unit has taken on a great change in the last 45-50 years hasn’t it? I have the privilege of remembering the milk/bread man coming to your house, using an outhouse and the good old Eaton’s catalog- I won’t explain the use of this.
I spent a lot of time at my grandparents (from my mother’s side). They were simple people, living a simple life. I can’t say it was easy for them. My grandfather was a farmer early to rise and early to bed. Very hard workers. There was always something to be done (no holidays for them or winter’s in Florida).
My grandmother was a very quiet woman, but always busy. I still remember her hanging the laundry out in the winter; bring it in stiff as a board and hanging it by the wood stove to finish drying. And guess what I do this. I don’t remember her ever being or appearing to be upset or emotional, only once when she had it with my uncle Jeff and myself. I was older by three months (that’s just wrongness). We were not getting along very well that day for some reason. She had it with us and that is the only time I remember her raising her voice- now maybe my mother has a different story?
School mornings we would get up and grandma had already been up for awhile. I remember counting one day lined up on the counter were 13 brown bag lunches to take one as you were leaving- no special orders ( and I complain making 2).
The best memories were Sunday’s. It was off to grandma’s we’d go. Everyone would come. Now my mom had 12 brothers and sisters with spouses and children, you talk about mad confusion, but everyone was happy. We did lots of play whether in the barn, fields or yard. In the fall the boys would play football, winter was road hockey, spring walks in the fields with handfuls of trilliums (I know we are not to pick them).
I look at our kids today and they don’t know how to play, their lives are run here and there, and being entertained by all the electronic devices that are out there. I recall one day saying to the kids that it was “free play time." One of the boys looked up at me and said “what’s play time." Have we lost something here?
Then finally we would all sit down to “Sunday dinner." Where are those Sunday dinner’s today? Where is the family?
What do I want for my family, what do you want?
Looking at the women in my life, my mind was drawn to a women we all know of or heard of. She was well known and respected all over the world. She has left us a lasting legacy. If you were like me, you probably don’t know too much about her life. But after studying her life I was blown away by her passion, ambition, strength, faith, commitment, sacrifice and how I could apply a little of these in my life.
How To Have A Mother Teresa’s Heart
I want to share her resume of her philosophy of life that she wrote in her seventies.
Life is an opportunity, avail it.
Life is a beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is a wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is a mystery, know it,
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, brace it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is life, save it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
This ordinary woman was raised in an ordinary family. She was the youngest of three children born to her parents Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu. Surprisingly she came from a well to do family. Her father’s family did very well in the trade industry. He was a very intelligent man with a good business head and spoke several languages. Because of his business he would travel away from home a lot with gifts to follow from his returns.
Her mother would keep very busy taking care of the home and her children, but Mother Teresa could fondly remember how when her father would return her mother would stop everything. She would tidy herself and the kids up for his return.
In Mother Teresa’s (whose birth name was Agnes) early childhood there was political turbulence in her country. Her father was a sociable man whose home provided a warm welcome for guess ranging from the poor of Skopje to the town’s archbishop. He always encouraged the best from his children. Following in his political interest; Nikola attendant a political gathering only to be returned in failed health. Nikola Bojaxhiu died at 45 years old.
Agnes was 8 years old.
Mother Teresa’s mother was left with very little to support her family. Her husband’s partner claimed all the business wealth.
I hope I am not boring you with this, but you need to see this was the foundation on which her life came from-what foundations are we building in our homes?
Her mother did whatever she could to support her family taking in any mending or task. With very little she believed in helping anyone she could. The family was never sure who would be at their house or eating dinner with them.
This brings me back to the funeral of the late Jean Hamelin; her legacy open home, always accepting, ready to feed everyone, always busy.
Drana Bojaxhiu was a very devoted Roman Catholic. She insisted on the value of the non-material riches of kindness, generosity and compassion for the poor and week- remember the foundations for Agnes future apostolate were laid. Are our children seeing this in our lives today?
Agnes would later assert in her later life “home is where the Mother is."
Do you know that a large population of our children is being raised without a mom? More and more fathers are becoming single dads. The enemy is on full attack; guess what it’s the moms of the “homes." Over the last year I have worked with the social services, ask them- we wouldn’t believe what is going on.
Agnes could remember her father telling his kids “never to eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others."
Agnes mother was eager that the lessons of the “love in action” and the importance of leading a Christian life- virtue’s she would instruct her kids. “When you do good, do it quietly as if you were throwing a stone into the sea."
Prayer was always an integral part of the home life- is prayer an integral part of our homes today? You see these lessons were instilled by solid example.
I would like to thank the late Jean Hamelin for instilling in her family the importance of “prayer” and “love in action." What an example she has given to us. Her family has been blessed.
Agnes’s family knew the good times, the hard times and loss- life wasn’t always easy, hardship was a part of it.
I want to share a passage from the book Where There Is Love,
There Is God- Mother Teresa. The love and unity of the family serves as the foundation for the growth of the children, providing a sense of identity, peace, trust, openness, and joy that will prepare them to take their place in society. Small acts of thoughtfulness to those closest to us make them feel welcome, accepted, worthy and appreciated. The home offers ample opportunities for sharing joys, bearing hard ships together, providing support in suffering, putting oneself at disposal of others, seeking not to be served but rather to serve all expression of love. Where “tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule." “The family both parents and children will grow in holiness”- is this what your home looks like?
By the age of 12 Agnes felt the call to “religious life." Her mother on more than one occasion would intimate to her other children that she believed that Agnes would not be with them for long, either she would die from the weakness in her chest- she was prone to chronic coughs or she would be called to give herself to God.
For six years Agnes prayed, by the end she believed she was called to “belong completely to God."
This mischievous child had grown into an attractive young woman whose contribution to the life of community was much valued- born an organizer, did well in school, and had already discovered the gift of communicating her knowledge to others.
She would give extra tuitoring to her classmates. There were times when Agnes had harboured hopes of a career in music or writing very musical and had a passion for poetry. And like her father very fast at picking up languages. She had hopes of one day having a family of her own. Her decision to become a nun was not an easy one.
When Agnes told her mother of her decision her mother initially refused her consent, this was not a surprise to her mother, but she wanted to test the strength of her daughter’s conviction. When her mother saw her passion she went to her room for 24 hours praying. Then came out giving Agnes her blessing with a warning that she must give herself totally and faithfully to God “only, all for God."
After joining the Loreto order and being appointed as head mistress teaching the children.
She wrote to her mother;
This is a new life. Our center here is very fine. I am a teacher, and I love the work- I am also head of the whole school, and everyone wishes me well.
Her mother’s reply;
Dear child, do not forget that you went to India for the sake of the poor.
An insight that sowed an unmistakable seed for her daughter’s future.
Are your words speaking life into your children’s lives?
Do you know your children? I have a saying from doing daycare that at times I know them better than their parents, we live such busy lives today that there is little room to really know our children.
You see I image that Mother Teresa’s mom was very devoted to prayer for her children, even thou she was busy and soul supporter of the home after her husband died that she still was very in tuned with her children.
Mother Teresa’s passion was to help the down and out, the unwanted, the untouchable, she saw Jesus in each face.
She passed no judgement on anyone. She looked past it all just to love on them and to lead them to Christ.
She was a woman of great compassion. She believed we must give until it hurts. It hurt Jesus to love us. Did we not just celebrate Easter?
Do you not think it didn’t hurt?
It is easy to give money right- when we hear of a need, but are we willing to give our hands to serve them? Its two different things isn’t it?
Can we love on our family until it hurts? We are leading the next generation. Are we instilling the passion to love, give, and serve not only in our families, but community?
We see her ambition to help and serve as many people as she could. Opening Missions of Charities around the world. Where there were needs she wanted to help. Do we see needs in our homes, families and are we willing to put aside our desires to help those? Do your children see this evident in your life?
We see a woman of great faith; she had many obstacles to overcome. There was always more mouths to feed, more money needed, more medical services needed; more, more, more. How many of us ever have days like this?
She was very determined and didn’t let obstacles stop her from reaching her goals. So “honey” my determination is a good thing.
If more food was needed, she would go out and find it. She trusted and believed God would provide and reading her stories you would be amazed at how things worked out, sometimes right down to the last minute. God is amazing isn’t he?
Her style Mother Teresa was a very dedicated woman. She lived her whole life for God, totally to him. Remember her mother’s saying “be only, all for God." She was sold out. She gave up her dreams of her own family but was blessed with many children. She lived a very simple, orderly life. She didn’t have much in material possessions that was not a priority to her. What are your priorities?
And mothers are you ready for this? She would rise at 4:30 am for prayer and devotion time- everyday was started this way.
There was always an urgency to do the work and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do. Who is ready to roll up their sleeves? Let’s clean the toilet, clean up a person covered with maggots. Prayer was an ongoing thing- see the foundations of her childhood home again. She also knew that rest was important to complete the work. There was more time set aside for prayer and rest in the afternoon, and then back to work we go. She expected the best out of those around her as well. She expected orderly lives built on faith. She was always teaching whether it was the other sisters or teaching the people trades so once they got better they could go out in society and keep themselves. Does this sound like a mother to you?
She believed in living like those around her. She chose to live a poor life. The cheapest cloth was used to make her three saris. She would use old second hand shoes- that caused her feet to deform. She only ate enough to keep herself going. She even let herself know what hunger felt like. How could she relate to the ones she was trying to reach if she couldn’t understand their lives. Once someone said to her how could she understand what it felt like not to have enough to eat. She replied, “I eat the same food you eat." They were amazed by this. They needed to see that she could relate.
Do you see Jesus here? I also see a former asst. pastor from here. In order to reach the bikers, he has had to be like them to fit in and relate to them to reach them.
We see a woman who lived a much disciplined life “be only, all for God." She gave and gave never asking for anything in return.
Wow! Does this sound like a mother to you?
I hope today I can leave you challenged as a mother. No we can’t all be Mother Teresa’s, but I hope it will lead you into being a better CEO of your home. Do we start our day in prayer, praying for our husbands, children, family etc….no matter the age?
Does your family see you in action: “love in action?"
Are we willing to go without, so someone else might have? Are we willing to see Jesus in every face- no matter what?
As the mothers of the home we have a big job, and the demands on mothers these days are great.
To those women who are 50 or older look around see how many women under 30 there are here today. Do we see a job to be done? We need you here you are a part of the family. We look in Titus 2 teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children. To be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home. To be kind and to be subject to their husbands.
Remember it’s the young moms that the enemy has camped out.
In closing I want to share a true story of a grandmother and her granddaughter. The grandmother spends her summers at their camp and winters in the south. Only around for a couple of months in the spring and fall. The granddaughter was asking the grandmother of her winter plans “oh we plan on leaving the 27th of December." As the grandmother was taking all about their plans, the granddaughter replied “gee it’s nice to have some time with you."
Are we seeing a growing trend? Do we know them, are we willing to teach the younger?
I would love to see every young woman here have a praying older woman to encourage them, teach them, we can beat the enemy at his game.
I would like to share a devotion that I have in my bible. Many of you probably have already read it. But it sums it up.
Based on James 5: 13-20
Women of Prayer
In one year, Christianity lost three holy women of faith, Agnes Sanford, Corrie ten Boon and Catherine Marshall- as well as countless others whose names are unknown but who nevertheless did the work of God in this world. These are the women who knew what it meant to experience the presence of the unseen, who spent hours on their knees, who wept over the wound of the world. For them prayer was a second language. Who will take their place? (Will we take their place?)
Frankly, there are very few candidates from our generation of women- these of us who have lavished hours in front of the television set, in the shopping plazas, (computers), in self-indulgence, in not developing a disciplined spiritual life.
Unless- unless, we begin to grow up spiritually. Unless we become convinced that we are the generation of Christian adults ultimately responsible for the spiritual condition of our nation. We must understand that there are increasingly few in that generation ahead of us left to pray over this world. We are coming of age. But are we coming to terms with our lack of spiritual depth and ability?
It is we who must learn the meaning of forbearing. It is we who must develop the disciplines of spiritual perseverance, not shrinking back from growth but doing the will of God, having faith and keeping our souls.
It is we who must become women of faith and prayer and obedience and service.
It is we who must set a spiritual standard for the next generation.
It is time for us all to grow up.
I am ending with a quote from Mother Teresa
“Give me the strength to be ever the light of their lives, so that I may lead them at last to you”!
So let’s lead our homes!
Grandma’s we need you!
Mom’s we need you!
Daughters we need you!
This next generation needs you!!!!!
Credits-Mother Teresa an authorized biography- Kathryn Spink
Mother Teresa CEO unexpected principles for practical leadership- Ruma Bose and Lou Faust.
Where There Is Love, There Is God Mother Teresa- edited and introduction by Brain Kolodiejchuk.
Bible- Women of Prayer devotional by Karen Burton Mains Page 1377.
