I watched a video interview recently where applicants for a director of operations position were given the requirements of the position they were seeking. They included: working on your feet most of the day, a high degree of stamina and 135 minimum hours a week for 365 days a year — no holidays off and very few vacation days, if any. The applicant must have excellent negotiation and interpersonal relationship skills, training in medicine, culinary arts and finance. And the director position must have constant supervision of his/her associate members. And to top off the position, there is no pay. It is pro bono work.
Each of the applicants responded with comments like: “This must be illegal,” “That is cruel,” “That is inhumane” and “No one could ever fill that position!”
To which the interviewer responded, “But the position is already held by millions of people across the world. Moms!”
When you stop to think about a mother’s job description, if it were a position to be hired, it would be crazy to think anyone would do a job like that for any price. But moms do it every day. Moms give of themselves. They sacrifice. They work even when they are sick or completely exhausted. They give and give until there is no more to give, then they find strength from somewhere and give some more.
I am amazed that God created such a person. God trains them well in the first few months of an infant’s life, when the mom gives herself 24 hours a day for her newborn, and during that time that child’s love is imbedded deep within her heart and soul.
Mothers are a testimony of God’s strength. Where does a mother’s strength come from? The God who created Eve created her in His image, with the strength God offers to each of us when we wonder if we can give another day or another hour.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah said in 40:28-31 (NIV), “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
We who live in Southeast Alaska know well the soaring eagles we see so often flying high in the sky. It occurred to me a couple years ago, as I was standing on the platform at the Mount Roberts Tram watching the eagles, that one of the secrets of how high they can soar is their dependence on and utilization of the wind. I stood there mesmerized as I watched an eagle lock his wings far below where I was standing, and then, catching an updraft, soared higher and higher until he was far above the place where I was standing, far above the top of the mountain.
That is also the secret of our strength and our ability to soar above our problems and challenges. When our strength gives way, the wind of God’s Spirit within us can carry us far above where we think we can go. God’s strength is what helps those moms give so much of themselves, and God is so gracious to supply their need so they can give even more. Mothers are a testimony of the strength God gives you and me.
Thank you, Lord, for the strength you give me (us) day by day that helps me (us) to soar and not grow weary and give up. And thank you moms all across Juneau and all across Alaska, who are a testimony of God’s love, strength and endurance.
• Dan Wiese is the pastor of the Church of the Nazarene.
