Her Mother Wept
Janet Johnson, a lanky 12 year old stood proudly and boldly at
the front of her class. She looked down at her essay and began to read aloud…
telling the story of her wealthy family and how wonderful their possessions
were. The girl boasted about her father who had endless funds to buy his
daughter toys, games and take her for trips to the seaside and the movies. She
bragged about her Mother who had lots of priceless jewellery and was President
of the Woman’s Rights group. With a pouting face she told of how if a dress was
stained or torn, it was simply discarded and a new one promptly purchased.
The audience listened in stony silence… the children’s parents and families were present at this end of the year event, to listen to their child’s efforts. The school teacher had a thunderstruck look upon her face… she was speechless! Only Janet’s Mother listened with pride… glaring round at the other Mothers. The girl’s father, Mr. Johnson, was quite ashamed, but was unable to stop the unpleasant tale.
When the end finally came, the Mother clapped loudly for her daughter whilst everyone else frowned with dislike.
Janet stepped down from the platform and seated herself beside her brother among the audience.
The teacher called the next little girl, Harriet Goldborough, to come forth and speak. Little Harriet was just a slip of a lass… only 10 years old. She moved onto the platform and blushed as she turned to look at the crowd in front of her. She looked at her paper, but the page had gone blurry. Tears of embarrassment smudged her vision. Sending a swift prayer for help upwards, she stuffed the paper into her pocket and stepped forward… and this is what that little girl said…
“10 years ago, on the 5th of April a woman gave birth to a little girl in a lonely railroad shack. She cared for the wee baby through the years. The young woman fed her and nursed her. When the daughter was sick from fever her mother sat at her bedside all night holding her hand. When she was in trouble at school her mother was there when she came home with her dress ripped and torn. The day she tripped bringing in the eggs from the hen house and lost the days collection, her Mother washed her tears away and told her it was all fine.
“Whilst the girl’s mother was raising this child, the father was hard at work from daylight till dusk, toiling out in the fields to make a living for his family. They never had much but they got by… their food was plain, their clothes were shabby, their house was bare… but they had one thing lots of other families never have, and could very well do with!
“They had love, the love of Jesus that held them together and made each of them smile through the pain of daily living. When live turned bad, Daddy was comforted by Mummy… the daughter comforted her parents, and her parents consoled each other and their girl.
“I am talking about one family in particularly… my family, my parents, my Mummy and my Daddy of whom I am very proud. They made me the girl I am today, and I say to them, in front of you all, dear Mummy and Daddy, thank-you so very much for your undying love and sacrifice! Without your support, teaching and training I would never be on that Heavenly Highway!
“Friends gathered here today, may God richly bless my parents for what they have done for me, for there is NO-ONE comparable to my parents!”
The room was deathly silent. Harriet looked around at the gathering to see her mother softly weeping… her Daddy was red faced, but SO proud. His lower lip was trembling. She stepped off the platform and walked down to them both where they were waiting with arms outstretched. They threw their arms about their daughter and hugged her tightly. Her father spoke tenderly as he fondled her hair, “Little one, your Mummy and Daddy are very proud of their wee lassie.”
Mummy kissed her daughter and said, “You have a Mummies blessing my love! I have no greater joy than to hear that my child walks in truth!”
The rest of the assembly were hush and quiet at this witness of faith and glory… and it was easy to see that the little girl’s speech had touched more than a few hearts!
26th June 2011
By Adam R. B. Reeve
The audience listened in stony silence… the children’s parents and families were present at this end of the year event, to listen to their child’s efforts. The school teacher had a thunderstruck look upon her face… she was speechless! Only Janet’s Mother listened with pride… glaring round at the other Mothers. The girl’s father, Mr. Johnson, was quite ashamed, but was unable to stop the unpleasant tale.
When the end finally came, the Mother clapped loudly for her daughter whilst everyone else frowned with dislike.
Janet stepped down from the platform and seated herself beside her brother among the audience.
The teacher called the next little girl, Harriet Goldborough, to come forth and speak. Little Harriet was just a slip of a lass… only 10 years old. She moved onto the platform and blushed as she turned to look at the crowd in front of her. She looked at her paper, but the page had gone blurry. Tears of embarrassment smudged her vision. Sending a swift prayer for help upwards, she stuffed the paper into her pocket and stepped forward… and this is what that little girl said…
“10 years ago, on the 5th of April a woman gave birth to a little girl in a lonely railroad shack. She cared for the wee baby through the years. The young woman fed her and nursed her. When the daughter was sick from fever her mother sat at her bedside all night holding her hand. When she was in trouble at school her mother was there when she came home with her dress ripped and torn. The day she tripped bringing in the eggs from the hen house and lost the days collection, her Mother washed her tears away and told her it was all fine.
“Whilst the girl’s mother was raising this child, the father was hard at work from daylight till dusk, toiling out in the fields to make a living for his family. They never had much but they got by… their food was plain, their clothes were shabby, their house was bare… but they had one thing lots of other families never have, and could very well do with!
“They had love, the love of Jesus that held them together and made each of them smile through the pain of daily living. When live turned bad, Daddy was comforted by Mummy… the daughter comforted her parents, and her parents consoled each other and their girl.
“I am talking about one family in particularly… my family, my parents, my Mummy and my Daddy of whom I am very proud. They made me the girl I am today, and I say to them, in front of you all, dear Mummy and Daddy, thank-you so very much for your undying love and sacrifice! Without your support, teaching and training I would never be on that Heavenly Highway!
“Friends gathered here today, may God richly bless my parents for what they have done for me, for there is NO-ONE comparable to my parents!”
The room was deathly silent. Harriet looked around at the gathering to see her mother softly weeping… her Daddy was red faced, but SO proud. His lower lip was trembling. She stepped off the platform and walked down to them both where they were waiting with arms outstretched. They threw their arms about their daughter and hugged her tightly. Her father spoke tenderly as he fondled her hair, “Little one, your Mummy and Daddy are very proud of their wee lassie.”
Mummy kissed her daughter and said, “You have a Mummies blessing my love! I have no greater joy than to hear that my child walks in truth!”
The rest of the assembly were hush and quiet at this witness of faith and glory… and it was easy to see that the little girl’s speech had touched more than a few hearts!
26th June 2011
By Adam R. B. Reeve