It’s called “America’s Pastime,” and it commands more attention each year than any other sport (the Major Leagues play 162 games in their season). Because of baseball, Cooperstown has been named “America’s Hometown;” host city to baseball’s Hall of Fame. What’s more universal and influential than baseball? It’s motherhood, and it’s our national focus next Sunday…
There will probably be a Cooperstown-styled archive for mothers in the Kingdom, Mary – Jesus’ mother – will undoubtedly be the bigger-than-life feature in the main gallery. But, just off that exhibit, the additional all-timers will include some notable luminaries. Among them: Hannah’s for sure.
Hannah’s story leads-off the section of Israel’s history in 1 Samuel, during the period of Judges. In brief, she was one of Elkanah’s two wives. Peninnah had children; Hannah was barren.
A great story, compressed: Hannah’s prayers to have children were offered along with a promise: if God would give her a son, she would offer him back to God. A miraculous answer unfolds, and Samuel was born. Hannah was faithful: when her son was weaned, she brought him to God’s earthly tabernacle where he would be raised by the priests for future service. He ultimately becomes a prophet who would, by God’s direction, recognize first Saul and then David as God’s choices for king. A hero.
Great mothers are God’s A-Team in the human race. Their two contributions: they give life, and they instill life lessons. They’re mission-critical for everything that follows.
The Evil One knows the critical role God has for mothers; he attempts to sabotage the sanctity of the mother-child relationship through his evil influence. Some of his strategies are blatant: abortion in America is one of his means to oppose a mother’s gift of life. For children that survive to birth, he has moved to corrupt much of the outsourced providers of life lessons to whom parents send their kids for education. The battle to protect life and life lessons is one layer of spiritual warfare.
In the Mothers’ Hall of Fame in the Kingdom, I’m nominating Gerda Audagnotti for special recognition and inclusion. She – along with husband Ryan – have led a special-forces styled attack on Satan’s attempt to disrupt the lives of orphans in South Africa that has created redemptive victories.
Both Gerda and Ryan are graduates of The Master’s Program. Ex-pats from South Africa, when they moved to America in the late ‘90s, they turned their Johannesburg home into a safe-house for orphans and created a “forever family” with long-term, faith-driven house parents.
Coming out of TMP in 2005, their nascent and boutique sized effort began a God-honoring expansion. A companion effort – forged among TMP women – was birthed: the Safari Sisters became a fellowship of American aunties who would wield their influence to assist the now-formalized Acres of Love ministry model: buy single-family homes for cash in safe neighborhoods. Establish ongoing funding commitments to cover annual operating costs for the new family. House parents overseeing five to seven children who, if not adopted, stay together until their adult launch. Great health care, great nutrition, great schooling, great faith development and church involvement are provided.
Why is this crucial? The Bible isn’t mysterious when it gives instruction about what’s important to God:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” — James 1:27
Gerda is a mom with her own kids, but her maternal influence has stretched to affect the children – formerly orphans, now a part of a “forever family” – who have benefited from the 40+ homes now under Acres of Love operation in Jo’burg and Cape Town. Cheri – my bride, our family’s mom – launched the Safari Sisters 20 years ago. We just returned from South Africa, where we – along with four other TMP couples – were the American aunties and uncles, visiting our South African family kids, in some of the homes in the Acres portfolio that trace back to the Safari Sisters and TMP partnership.
Next Sunday: feature your mom/wife/daughters who are mothers. Celebrate them for giving the Gift of Life, and for providing the Life Lessons that ultimately glorify God.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Bob Shank
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