We could spend a long time debating the qualities that make a woman and a mother memorable. Some of you may be thinking, "Why this preoccupation with being memorable? I'm not that sure that I want to be a memorable mom." Mothers, there are memorable moments in your life that will become beacons of hope to the generations that follow you. The memorable moments I'm talking about are the moments in which the very essence of who and what you are is revealed. It's the ultimate distilling of the struggles, the victories, the consistent choosing of that which is good and right. All of those experiences spin in the cyclotron of your life and one day it's distilled essence is revealed by the words you speak which harmonize with the life you have lived.

Your words come out like "apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11 NIV)." Instantly people say, "That's you, those words are a wonderful expression of your life."

May the fragrance of your life be memorable

Today you'll discover from God's word that memorable mothers have a Biblical dream, they vigorously pursue God's purposes and rise above mediocrity.

I. Memorable Mothers Dream Biblical Dreams.
For most parents the birth of a child is a sacred moment. They marvel at the miracle of life they are holding in their arms. They know that God has a wonderful plan for their little baby's life. And they know that God will give them the grace to raise their child to love the Lord. That's a dream they have.

See the picture of your son or daughter becoming a person of outstanding character, then pray the dream into existence.

The writer to Hebrews says, "Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! (Hebrews 10:35 TLB)

When God gives you a dream, trust Him for it. It's fulfillment is part of your reward. Another part of a mother's dream is expressed by the Psalmist. "Here is my description of a truly happy land where Jehovah is God: Sons vigorous and tall as growing plants. Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall." (Psalm 144:12)

In that verse God uses vivid word pictures to give mothers memorable dreams. "Sons vigorous and tall as growing plants." In Isaiah God uses the expression, "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. (Isaiah 61:3 NIV)

The memorable word pictures of what your daughters will become is "Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall." My mind dances with images of graceful, slender ionic pillars I've seen and touched. Your eyes are drawn to the symmetry of the flutes that are carved with precision into the marble columns. Up the tapered column your eye travels until it reaches the capital (top) of the column with it's graceful scrolls. Standing back from it you declare, "it's a magnificent work of art."

The radiance is not a varnish slapped on the exposed surface. The radiance on their faces emanates from deep within their souls. It is the natural expression that comes when forgiveness, worship, contentment and compassion embrace each other like long lost friends. What a dream to have for your daughters. Any daughter with a mother who dares to dream like that is truly a privileged daughter.

Mothers, it's OK to dream of one of those majestic, vigorous oaks of righteousness riding off into the sunset with your graceful, radiant pillar of beauty. That's what I call a winning combination.

Memorable Mothers Fulfill God's Purposes In Their Lives
Purpose answers the question, "Why am I here? Sometimes you feel like the ape that was being used to develop the polio serum. Day after day this poor ape was punctured again and again. Would the ape ever be able to grasp the meaning of its existence or suffering?

During those times when mothering is difficult and demanding, memorable mothers need a clear sense of purpose. Mothers need to be able to verbalize an answer to the question, why am I allowing myself to be pulled this way and pushed that way by the endless demands of mothering? Why do I feel like the ape that finds no end to the puncturing and testing?

Mothers, you do not invent your purpose in life, it is discovered in the Bible. Memorable mothers understand that one of God's purposes for them is to raise a righteous heritage. God commanded Adam and Eve to be "fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." When that purpose is understood and carried out the Bible promises that you will experience a high level of happiness. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man/woman that has his/her quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed." (Psalm 127:4,5 KJV)

A second Biblical purpose for mothers is the building of the habitation of God. We find this principle in Zechariah 8:13. The children of Israel had returned from captivity and were in the process of re-building the city and the temple. It was a long slow task and Zechariah reminds them that they are building the dwelling place of God, and they are going to prosper and be happy.

"May you be as poor as Judah,' the heathen used to say to those they cursed! But no longer! For now Judah is a word of blessing, not a curse. `May you be as prosperous and happy as Judah is,' they'll say. So don't be afraid or discouraged! Get on with rebuilding the Temple!" (Zechariah 8:13 TLB)

Parenting is a long slow process that involves building the lives of your children so they will become the habitation of God.

God's habitation is not built overnight. It does not come in a prefab kit. Each one is custom built.

Mothers who have this perspective find great joy and blessing in the process of building. Mothers who find their joy in pursuing this vision of building the dwelling place of God become memorable mothers.

Memorable Mothers Rise Above Mediocrity
The word mediocre comes from a Latin word meaning half way up. To be mediocre is to be neither bad nor good. There are mothers who stand before their creator and declare with their lips, "God I'm not content to build you a mediocre dwelling place. God, I dedicate myself to build you a habitation of excellence."

It's that level of passion that motivates some mothers to go the extra mile and home school their children. They believe that the prospects of building a habitation of excellence for the Lord are increased by home schooling.

Mothers with the desire to rise above mediocrity see the story of their life in Psalm 37:37. "But the good man (mother) what a different story! For the good man (mother) the blameless, the upright, the man (mother) of peace-- he/she has a wonderful future ahead of him/her. For him/her there is a happy ending.

The promise I see in this verse is that mothers who determine to rise above the mediocre and determine to be blameless and upright, they will have a happy ending.

James tells us that there are choices memorable mothers make that empower them rise above mediocrity. "Happy is the man (mother) who doesn't give in and do wrong when he (she) is tempted, for afterwards he (she) will get as his (her) reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him". (James 1:12 TLB)

Mothers who learn to say no to temptation wear a crown, and that crown makes them memorable. Mediocre mothers are mediocre because they do not consistently say no to temptation.

Mothers who rise above mediocrity breathe the rare air of God's forgiveness. "What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record". (Psalm 32:1 TLB)

Once you've experienced God's forgiveness you have the power to forgive others. The ability to forgive others is what cuts the tethers that hold you back and allow you to rise above the mediocrity of life.

A week ago Monday I watched the story of the Black Stallion. I love those stories where the horse is released to run at it's full potential. Can you imagine a pure bred race horse harnessed to a plow. Day after day you see it plodding through the fields dragging the plow behind it. The horse was bred to feel the wind in it's mane but its harnessed to the plow.

One day someone cuts the harness and releases the horse to stretch out and run like its never run before. Mothers, that's what forgiving one another does for you, it releases you to live like you've never lived before. Forgiveness cuts the tethers and releases you to soar to new levels in your relationships with others.

I love what Paul said to his brothers and sisters at Corinth. "How happy this makes me, now that I am sure all is well between us again. Once again I can have perfect confidence in you". (2 Corinthians 7:16 TLB)

The main difference between memorable mothers and mediocre mothers is that memorable mothers do the right things in an excellent way. Others do the right things in a mediocre manner.

Don't let your Biblical dream for your children die. Dwell on the memorable word pictures of what your children will become. Focus on God's purpose and calling in your life and build your priorities around that purpose. Chop the tethers that tie you to mediocre living and experience the sheer delight of soaring. God wants womanhood and motherhood to be memorable.

By Eugene Harder

Graphics by Moon and Back
Mid "Waltz of the Daisies" Original COmposition by Geoff