Be a Living Presence

another devotion from Quiet Moments alone with God by: Emilie Barnes


Scripture Reading: Psalm 127:1-5/ Key Verse 127:3

Behold,children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of womb is a reward

The young mother asked her guide about the path of life. "Is the way long?" she inquired. And her guide replied: "Yes.And the way is hard.And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children,and gathered flowers for them along the way, and basked with them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them and life was good, and the young mother said, "nothing will ever be better than this." Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold,and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "oh Mother,we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother observed, "this is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my chidren courage." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary too, but she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed,and thwn they reached the top they said, "we could not have it done without you, Mother." ans the mother, when she lay down that night, looked at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage, and today I have given them strength." And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks ans the months and the years, and the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their mother, and when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said: " I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better then the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said,"You will always walk with us,Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

In our Society today the most dangerous place for a child to be is in her mother's womb. Who would ever have thought that to be true? Too many women and parents have never known or have forgetten the promise of the lord that children are a gift: They are the fruit of the womb. Does this promise just happen, or are there things we do to earn this promise? No, it doesn't just happen. For a mother to become a "living presence" she must spend time, time, and more time with her children. "Is the way long?" Yes, it is. In fact at times it seems forever. Young mothers write letters or talk to me completely frustrated with life because the children take so much time from their day. I tell them they won't always be in that phase of their lives. Enjoy the children while they're young, because as they get older both parents and children will have a new set of difficulties. Each phase of life has challenges that are new to us. I can vividly remember when Bob and I had five children under the age of five and I was only 21 years old. I thought I would never make it. But was it worth it? Yes, it was. I can truly say that children are a gift from God and that they are the fruit from the mother's womb. I have found that you develop a living presence with your children if you *raise them at an early age to know Christ personally * show interest in their friends and activities * show them that you really love your spouse(if you are married) *exercise fairness with them in conversation and discipline* let them grow up without overprotection; let them make mistakes, make decisions, and get bumps and scrapes* use encouraging words to lift them up * let them have and express different opinions from your own * be good role models so they will know their gender roles (boys are to become men and girls are to become women) * Be willing to clealy, confess and admit you wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness* establish firm and clear boundaries. Proverbs 31:10-31 can help you become a capable woman. This passage is an acrostic poem exalting the honor and dignity of womanhood. In Verses 30 and 31 we read, "A woman who fears the Lord..shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Is the way long? yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning. Get on board, for the trip will be a blessing for you and for all those fortunate enough to be in your family!


I don't know why but I could not read or type this one without crying. I am not a mother yet myself, but the story of the woman with her children makes me think of my mama and what a wonderful mother she was when I was young, and she still today is a wonderful mother, I don't think you need to be a mom to be touched by this.I know this is something I will reflect on again when I do one day become a mother.

Be Blessed!