Somewhere, we lost the perspective taught in Titus 2:4
"so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."
We watered down the importance of mothers in the home. Consequently, just as the scripture implied would be the result, our generation no longer cherishes the word of God, let alone obeys it. Additionally, the boundary lines, God created, that separated male from from female, with the beauty of His wisdom, have been blurred. So much so, we no longer cherish the uniqueness of our roles, and consequently no longer value our sexuality. Even though my mom was somewhat of a tomboy, she never sacrificed her femininity. For More about my Mom, click here. If you know her, you know, she's quite outspoken for the equality of women without compromising her interpretation of scripture. One great lesson, I learned from her. You can become whatever you want to be, as long as, it is the person God created you to be. She waited, until we were all out of high school, before she began a career in telecommunications. While we were kids, she had an upholstery shop in our back yard. It allowed her to make money while remaining a stay home mom. Originally, the building had been a smoke house for curing meat. So, as you might imagine, the place with no windows was extremely hot. It was a blessing when my kid brother accidentally drove into the building, making the perfect place for a window air conditioner.
My mom taught a lot of lessons in the upholstery shop. I'm not talking about skills of the trade. I'm referring to life lessons. Some she might not be aware of.
1. To be unselfish. She put the value of raising us ahead of her worldly desires. She could have made lots more somewhere else. She put our souls ahead of worldly wealth. Her relationships, built with this one principle, make her the richest person I know.
2. How to treat people and how to handle hard- to deal- with people. According to her, the best option is to make friends with as many people as possible. Still, in this life, you will make enemies. I'm not getting into the details, but a stay home mom in the seventies, working for herself, at home, put her in compromising and vulnerable positions. She taught me in those situations, why to, how to, when to, when not, and for what, to fight. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you can win a fight. What matters is what you stand to lose by not fighting. It just has to be worth fighting for. We dealt with friends, enemies, and everything in between. It has been a most invaluable asset.
3. Put family first. The upholstery shop often had my grandfather, grandmother, and great-great aunt working together right beside the kids. The collective wisdom and memories gathered there are priceless.
4.The value of hard work. It wasn't an easy job. It didn't pay great, but there's a satisfaction that comes from working with your hands. It taught me pride in the accomplishment is worth more than the monetary reward for the task.
5.Use the talents God gave you. Mom was a killer seamstress. It's as much as art form as skills. She tapped into that talent and created substance. God gave us all talents and there are no limits to His resources.
In upholstery, you take something old and worn and make it new again. You make it valuable again. You turn it into something worthy for a place in someone's home. You begin by ripping off the outer covering to reveal the frame. It is only then, the frame might be repaired. Some parts might even be replaced before it is recovered. In the end, you have a brand new product. Upholstery work is a great analogy for the work that God does in the lives of those He saves. He gets down, beneath our skins, into the very framework of our souls. There, He repairs, and covers us in the blood of His son. In doing so, He transforms us into a new creation suitable for His home in Heaven.
I'm so grateful for what my Mom and God taught me in the upholstery shop. Happy Mother's Day.
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