Mother test?

It is a curious thing that those of us who have the privilege of having had children did not have to pass any form of test to do so. True , we had to accomplish a certain form of physical recreational activity but thankfully the human race seems to have that innate desire hard wired into most of us.

And yet being a mother (and it is mothers we shall major on this week) does not need a license or a permit. Kind of strange isn’t it that something so demanding and important just kind of happens. Unlike others life altering things )passing exams, driving a car etc) parenting only requires a certain willingness for the act preceding it.

Rather than passing a test, being a mother is something that you have to pick up as you go along. There are of course pointers and helpful hints. Many of us can recall our own mothers and thus can decide to reproduce all the good things they did to us, whilst consciously avoiding the bad mistakes – while of course making a whole new set of mistakes that our children will have to cope with and where necessary gain therapy for.

Mothering is one of those things that we have to learn as we go along. I wonder what you have learned about mothering over the years – here is one list… some of which follow on from each other…

• When you hear the toilet flush and the words “Uh-oh”, it’s already too late.
• A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq foot house 4 inches deep.
• Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a four year old. Duplos will not.
• Play Dough and Microwave should never be used in the same sentence.
• Marbles in petrol tanks make lots of noise when driving.
• You probably do not want to know what that smell is.
• Always look in the oven before you turn it on.

• Plastic toys do not like ovens.
• The fire department in Bristol has a 12-minute response time.
• and finally….
• The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
• It will however make cats dizzy
• Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

Human mothering makes many mistakes and the experience of being a Mother often involves learning through mistakes.

Tomorrow in Church we gather to give thanks for those who are mothers, but moreover cast that thanks in the light of the Mothering care that God offers all of us, mothers or not.

And because it is God’s version of Mothering we explore we will hold together both the joys and sorrow of mothering for those who are or have been mothers, for those who were unable to be mothers, for those who once were mothers but are no longer.

God holds all our joys and sorrows together as we come to worship him..

Peace and Blessings