It has been said that "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." To a great extent that is true. The mothers of today will mold the ideals of tomorrow as they shape the careers of their children. I am sure history will confirm that it has ever been so. The mother of Samuel dedicated him to the Lord even before he was born, and he became the prophet who influenced the life of all Israel. The mother of Moses nursed him at the request of Pharaoh's daughter, and even as a babe he imbibed with his mother's milk the story of the tragedy of his people which made him the great deliverer from Egyptian bond­age. It was the mother of Timothy, with the advice and assistance of her own mother, who made of that young man a true and fervent lover of the Lord.

This principle is as true in profane as in sacred history. Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, declared, "All I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my darling mother." George Washington's mother was a woman of sterling and uncompromising character. It is no wonder that Lord Shaftesbury exclaimed, Give me a generation of Christian mothers, and I will undertake to change the face of society in twelve months. The responsibility resting upon mothers is indeed a great and noble one.

Children are what the mothers are.

No fondest father's fondest care

Can fashion so the infant heart

As those creative beams that dart,

With all their hopes and fears, upon

The cradle of a sleeping son.

In view of this, it is a matter of solemn thought and grave deliberation to view the kind of mothers which we are now pro­ducing. The future looks dark and bleak indeed unless we are able to cause those to think, and think seriously, who bear chil­dren into this world. The value of a child to a nation is greater than that of any other form of wealth. Socrates once said, "Could I climb to the highest place in Athens, I would lift my voice and proclaim¾Fellow-citizens, why do ye turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth, and take so little care of your children, to whom one day you must relinquish all?"

It would appear today that children are not wanted. One reads the advertisements of houses to rent, and sees repeatedly the notice, "No children. He sees the placards in the windows, "No children." But often that same sign is written upon the hearts of those who marry. If you could see down inside of those souls you would behold a desire for pleasure, for gratification, for sat­isfaction with the things of this world, but there would be written the words, "No children wanted." And
because of that condition, there are multiplied thousands who become murderers, killing their children who have been conceived, before they can see the light of day. Jealously thinking only of self, greedy, grasping for worldly wealth, mothers take that sinful road of abortion, not realizing that some day they shall stand with the blood of their own children upon their guilty hands, to be judged by the One whose own Son was murdered because of envy and selfish greed.

The happy homes are the homes with the children! Nothing is more pitiful than to see two people grow old together with noth­ing to look forward to except oblivion of their name, with the grave swallowing up all of their plans and hopes. When you marry, do so with a view to starting a family. You owe it to God, who ordained marriage with this in view. You owe it to the nation which cannot survive unless you meet your responsibility. If for some physical reason beyond your control you cannot have children, then adopt some, and give them the love of, a father and mother. Do it for your sakes as well as for theirs. Unless you find an outlet for your mother instinct you can never be fully hap Love your children They will be a reflection of you and your life. A mother stood at her door one day while her little girl was playing on the front porch. The mother was astounded to hear the youngster as she suddenly grabbed her doll and shook it, burst forth with the words, "You good-for-nothing little scamp, you come right into the house this minute, or I'll beat all the hide off of your back." The mother broke in, saying, Here, here, I am surprised to hear my little girl talk that way to her dollie." "Oh," said the little girl, "I was only playing, and he is my little boy, and I am talking to him like you did when you got mad this morning." How many times children are but the echoes of their parents!

When prairie fires start and sweep across the land, those who live on these great expanses start another fire to check the onrush­ing tides of flame. They fight fire with fire! But you cannot fight with the fire of anger the fire of your child's disposition! You'll only make the flames more destructive. Therefore, you should study your children. God has given you a key to their needs in the temperaments which they possess. Love will find a way to rear those little ones to please God, because
love will never stop seek­ing and searching until that way is opened up.

Love is not pampering. True love consists of stern devotion to the right. It is not always mere tender emotion. There are some who think they are loving their children when they cater to their every whim. The surgeon is not unkind, who, in spite of the resistance of his patient, goes deliberately about the job of remov­ing the gangrene from a wound. Neither is the parent to be deemed unloving who firmly and decisively, in spite of the protests of the child, goes about the task of removing
the evil inclinations which might otherwise destroy the whole life of the youngster.

The Bible says, "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Discipline is necessary in life.

It must start in the home. If it does not, and the child is left to grow up with the thought that he can always have his way, it will eventually work his ruin and everlasting destruction. All lawmakers are agreed that their laws of restraint will be virtually ineffective unless reverence for those laws is taught in the home. It is your job as a mother, in order to have a happy home, to instill respect for God and the rights of others in the hearts of your little ones. You will heap sorrow upon sorrow if you refuse to chasten your children when they need and require it. Love your children to the extent that you always do for them what is best, regardless of what it may cost you to do it!

Lesson #5: "Keepers at Home" will follow in the next mailing.
"Lessons From Yesterday" is compiled by Dwain R. Stoops
If you have comments, please contact: dstoops@msn.com
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