Happy mothers day with love from Eunice and Lois

In looking in the Bible, we are spoilt for choice for mothers to write about this Mothers Day. From Moses' mother who demonstrated such courage and faith for her sons life, to Mary, mother of Jesus himself, responding with joy to the difficult call on her life and going on to be part of the evangelistic movement offering hope to the world.

In this blog, however, I'd like to briefly talk about two women who, though only mentioned perhaps twice in the Bible, stand out as pillars of mothering influence. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul says to Timothy "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well”.

Timothy is a man spoken about often by Paul. He is a beloved spiritual son, but also a minister and co-labourer. He has been imprisoned for his faith but in many letters, the readers are told that Timothy will bring comfort (1 Thess 3:2) and he was to be listened to as a man who had the mind and will of Christ (1 Cors 4:17). In short, he was a good man. In this verse (1 Tim 1;5), Paul refers to the legacy of Timothys mother and grandmother in instilling in him his faith from his infancy. In Proverbs 22:6 it says to teach a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he won't turn from it. They took this instruction seriously, Lois first laying a foundation in her mothering of Eunice, who went on to teach Timothy, building on the faithful foundations of her own mother. We know little else about these women other than they were Jewish converts, but we can make some assumptions about the way they discipled and parented Timothy. Their faith was notable even by Paul, and I might guess that Eunice prayed over and for her child. Those night-time prayers, quick spoken prayers of joy, lament, tiredness, hopes, and fears... God heard them all. She taught him the Holy Scriptures, investing in him and most probably role modelling to him devotion to Christ through her own life and there is no better example of self-sacrificial love than that of a mother who knows what it means to risk and give your body to bear another.

There are many ways that mothering is honoured in the Bible, and this is just one of them. Every single one teaches us something, and I think through Eunice and Lois, we get to hear the lesson of perseverance, which is a hallmark of faith. It is unlikely that Eunice sailed through her mothering experience untouched by challenges or heartache, afterall, she was a woman living in the first century. But her faith Paul spoke of was rooted in Christ, which gave her a focus and an anchor in those storms so often faced in parenting. None of us are promised or even expect an easy ride in this life, but we do know that in the middle of it all, we can take heart because He has overcome this world (paraphrased John 16:33). Faith in this certainty is the legacy we get to leave to our children, whether they are the biological ones you have or the spiritual ones you disciple.

Happy mothers Day.