OPINION:
The job description was for Director of Operations, and the requirements went as follows: Standing for hours on end. Unlimited work weeks. No vacations. Must be a skillful negotiator. Degrees in culinary arts, finance, and medicine helpful.
Oh, and by the way, there will be no paycheck.
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Twenty-four people agreed to be recorded for an Internet video interview, but as the requirements became clearer, there were no takers — not one. The comments made by some of the interviewees were:
“Is that even legal?”
“I think that’s a little intense…that’s crazy.”
“That’s cruel, inhumane.”
“Nobody’s doing that for free!”
It was a new video for a “fake position” created by the American Greetings card company for Mother’s Day. The job was fake, but the interviews were real. The video is excellent, and when it was posted it went viral.
I watched it online and I laughed out loud. Then I wanted to cry. Because as the website states: “A mom’s impact is endless … so is her job description. It may be the world’s toughest job … but it provides the most extraordinary joy.”
I agree with that statement. OK, maybe not the part about it being the world’s toughest job. But I do happen to think they are getting pretty close to the mark. Even Jesus used mothers as an example when He looked for an analogy of suffering followed by joy:
“Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world” – John 16:21
Welcome to The Virtue Podcast with Cathe Laurie. In every season, there is always room for growth. We believe that faith grows best in a group community that is centered on the study of God’s Word and deeply rooted in living out the gospel, life on life. Join Cathe and the teaching team as they share thoughts to reinforce our Bible study and discussion time.
To be a mother is a call to suffer. It’s true.
- A mother suffers when she brings a child into the world.
- A mother suffers when her child gets sick.
- A mother suffers when her child gets hurt.
- A mother suffers when her child goes astray.
- And perhaps hardest of all, a mother suffers when her child dies.
It is a huge responsibility to parent a child. Not just at the beginning of life, but also in the middle, and at the end. Because being a mother never stops.
However, being a godly mother encompasses much, much more than suffering. There is the promise of hopeful, relentless joy in this life and in eternity. Inexpressible, incalculable, eternal joy. We may work like crazy women but we can always rest in the Lord and in His strength.
I want to say to all mothers out there, run this “mother race” with joy. Run with all your heart, mind, and strength. Run for the Lord, who entrusted His children to you. Run for those children, that they may see your love and commitment to them. Run. Run. Run this race like your clothes are on fire! All heaven wants to cheer you on as you look toward the prize of hearing the Lord say, “Well done!” I want to cheer you on too!
But first, to our moms, we say thank you. We want to honor you for the things you’ve done. For the countless things that we selfishly never took notice of.
To those who may not have been our mothers, but who functioned like mothers and taught us by words and godly examples, hats off to you too! You are “mothers in the faith.” You cared, mentored, and prayed for us — to you we say thank you as well.
And to the rest of us moms in the trenches, let’s cast off the weight of comparing ourselves to each other, or to standards that are in vogue for about a minute. Cast off the weight of always having to have a perfect house and homemade bread dough rising on our spotless counters. Chill out about Instagram and reading mommy blogs and Pinterest. If these things help us, great! If they stress us out, frustrate, and whittle away precious time, let them go!
In doing so, we will free up more time and energy for important matters: God, family, and modeling love and holy living. Let’s run this race for the ultimate prize, forget what is behind, cast off the weights, and go for it — because this race is best run when we are fit and fleet.
That makes this mother and grandmother want to turn off the laptop, smartphone, TV, and leap off the couch. We only have this moment, and who knows for how long it will be ours? Carpe diem.
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Cathe Laurie is the wife of Greg Laurie, Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship and featured speaker for Harvest Crusades and Harvest America Evangelistic Outreaches.
She is the founder and director of Virtue, the women’s ministry at Harvest Christian Fellowship, which for over 40 years has helped women discover a deeper relationship with God through studying the Scriptures. She is a Bible teacher and featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast with Cathe Laurie. Through the pages of her book, As I See It, and her devotional blog read nationwide, Cathe brings a distinctly feminine perspective to show how Scripture speaks to all the basic issues of life.
Cathe and Greg celebrated 50 years of marriage in February 2024. They have two sons: Christopher, who went to be with the Lord in 2008, and Jonathan; two daughters-in-law, Brittany and Brittni; and five grandchildren, Stella, Lucy, Rylie, Alexandra, and Christopher.
Cathe enjoys hiking and reading and has lots of fun cooking in the kitchen with her grandchildren.
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