A tribute to a great Mother
When I was eleven years old, my mother (Sandra Butts of Pottstown) almost died. She had just given birth to her ninth baby and there were complications. The doctors told us to prepare for her death. My father faced the difficult task of dividing the other eight children among relatives and friends so that he could be with our mom. Being the oldest son, I was much more aware of what we faced. I remember being scared and praying more than I had ever prayed. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my mom and I was scared for our family. Gratefully, God spared my mom and restored her to us.
A friend who stayed in our home during my college years recently said, “I don’t know anyone like your mother. She has lived a standard almost never met by other mothers.” His words are true. My mother is an amazing person. The fact that she gave birth to eleven children would be enough evidence. Yet, as she’ll quickly tell you, having children wasn’t the challenge; it was raising them. She (along with my father) raised seven boys and four girls. I am the second oldest of the eleven and oldest of the seven boys. The age difference between the oldest and youngest is eighteen years. How many moms today could imagine having an eighteen year old and ten younger children?
By today’s standards, there was very little to envy in my mom’s role. Several words summarize her life. Service to others was her main focus. From morning until evening, her work was never finished. Imagine the laundry, sewing (look it up in the dictionary), meals, dishes, housework, and school work for eleven children. And think about all the shoes! In those days, there were no dish washers or micro- wave ovens and, in our case, there wasn’t much help from extended family. I remember my mom getting up early each morning to make school lunches. It seemed like she used an entire loaf of bread each day. Like a factory assembly line, she laid bread out and built sandwiches for the day.
Another word descriptive of Mom was hospitality. We moved at least nine times during my childhood years. Yet each time Mom turned our house into a comfortable home. Most of the time finances were tight. But I remember a mom who could make a little go a long way. She was also content with what we had. She and my father almost never spent money on themselves. They diligently taught us to distinguish needs from wants.
Although funds were limited, we always had extra people at the dinner table. From time to time, when we lived in larger houses, we even provided a home for others. Among those who lived with us, I remember an older lady, young college students, and a young couple. Each time these people were welcomed into the family. In the evenings, we gathered around the long dining room table for extended conversations. There was always story telling, memory sharing and laughter. I also remember a stream of people who stopped by for advice. Mom and Dad would offer “counseling sessions” over coffee to people from many different walks of life.
I considered the word sacrifice in relation to Mom’s life but I don’t think she viewed her role as a sacrifice. The emphasis on sacrifice in relation to motherhood is relatively recent. My mother never thought about the “career” or “life” she would miss by being a mother. She never thought of all she “could have done” apart from motherhood. Being a mother was her life and was considered an honorable calling.
Finally, faith comes to mind when I think of my Mom. Although for most of my childhood years we were not a religious family, things changed when I was a pre-teen. Through the loving concern of a neighbor, my parents heard the good news about God’s offer of salvation as a free gift to all who trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus became more than a man from history to my parents; he became their personal savior and Lord. My mother has been an example of faith and godliness to her eleven children and countless others. Her children “rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28).
Steven W. Cornell
Senior Pastor
Millersville Bible Church
A friend who stayed in our home during my college years recently said, “I don’t know anyone like your mother. She has lived a standard almost never met by other mothers.” His words are true. My mother is an amazing person. The fact that she gave birth to eleven children would be enough evidence. Yet, as she’ll quickly tell you, having children wasn’t the challenge; it was raising them. She (along with my father) raised seven boys and four girls. I am the second oldest of the eleven and oldest of the seven boys. The age difference between the oldest and youngest is eighteen years. How many moms today could imagine having an eighteen year old and ten younger children?
By today’s standards, there was very little to envy in my mom’s role. Several words summarize her life. Service to others was her main focus. From morning until evening, her work was never finished. Imagine the laundry, sewing (look it up in the dictionary), meals, dishes, housework, and school work for eleven children. And think about all the shoes! In those days, there were no dish washers or micro- wave ovens and, in our case, there wasn’t much help from extended family. I remember my mom getting up early each morning to make school lunches. It seemed like she used an entire loaf of bread each day. Like a factory assembly line, she laid bread out and built sandwiches for the day.
Another word descriptive of Mom was hospitality. We moved at least nine times during my childhood years. Yet each time Mom turned our house into a comfortable home. Most of the time finances were tight. But I remember a mom who could make a little go a long way. She was also content with what we had. She and my father almost never spent money on themselves. They diligently taught us to distinguish needs from wants.
Although funds were limited, we always had extra people at the dinner table. From time to time, when we lived in larger houses, we even provided a home for others. Among those who lived with us, I remember an older lady, young college students, and a young couple. Each time these people were welcomed into the family. In the evenings, we gathered around the long dining room table for extended conversations. There was always story telling, memory sharing and laughter. I also remember a stream of people who stopped by for advice. Mom and Dad would offer “counseling sessions” over coffee to people from many different walks of life.
I considered the word sacrifice in relation to Mom’s life but I don’t think she viewed her role as a sacrifice. The emphasis on sacrifice in relation to motherhood is relatively recent. My mother never thought about the “career” or “life” she would miss by being a mother. She never thought of all she “could have done” apart from motherhood. Being a mother was her life and was considered an honorable calling.
Finally, faith comes to mind when I think of my Mom. Although for most of my childhood years we were not a religious family, things changed when I was a pre-teen. Through the loving concern of a neighbor, my parents heard the good news about God’s offer of salvation as a free gift to all who trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus became more than a man from history to my parents; he became their personal savior and Lord. My mother has been an example of faith and godliness to her eleven children and countless others. Her children “rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28).
Steven W. Cornell
Senior Pastor
Millersville Bible Church
Labels: Butts, Cornell, mother's day, Pottstown
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