A Mama’s Encouragement for Her Shy Boy

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I recently began listening to a biography of President Ronald Reagan. Ray and I have both written about Reagan. We have visited his birthplace, . . .

his childhood home, . . .

and his presidential library.

However, it seems that there is always something new to learn. Gaining new knowledge for myself was one of the many reasons I enjoyed homeschooling.

An occurrence during our first year of homeschooling revealed to me just how much I was learning. As a teenager, I enjoyed flipping through Reader’s Digest® magazines to read the jokes and funny stories. Only months — maybe even weeks — after we first began homeschooling, I saw a short test in Reader’s Digest® and found the courage to take it. To my surprise, I did really well. I realized that I would not have done as well before we began homeschooling. I loved that I was learning, too.

I’m actually learning many new facts about Ronald Reagan, but one of those facts in particular made me think of you. This fact relates to something Ronald Reagan’s mother, Nelle, did for him in his childhood. Today I want to tell you what Nelle Reagan did. From time to time, I plan to share what mothers of other famous people have done for their children, in hopes that what those mothers did will encourage you.

Ronald Reagan’s first acting experiences were with his mother. Nelle Reagan enjoyed acting herself. She directed plays at her church and encouraged her shy younger son, Ronald (then called by his nickname Dutch), to perform in church plays. Ronald Reagan may never have become president of the United States without that encouragement.

Reagan went from church plays to plays in high school and college.

He went from those plays to becoming a sports announcer on radio.

He went from radio announcing to acting in Hollywood movies.

He became president of the Screen Actors Guild, a union where he gained valuable political experience.

He went from the Screen Actors Guild to hosting the GE (General Electric) theatre from 1954 to 1962.

Part of Reagan’s job at GE was traveling to GE plants and speaking on conservative issues to GE employees.

Reagan served as the Republican governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

Reagan was elected president of the United States in 1980.

Church plays, sports announcer, movie actor, union leader, television host, speaker, governor, president — one led to another. Reagan may never have walked into the White House had his mother not encouraged him to walk onto the stage of his first church play in Dixon, Illinois.

Thank you for what you are doing today with your children. I wonder what first step one of them may take today that will lead to something neither you nor your child ever dreamed of.

Nelle Reagan did much more for her shy boy than encourage him to walk onto a stage. Reagan’s mother taught him about faith and the value of prayer. She led prayer meetings. Mrs. Reagan believed that God has a plan for everyone.  In a radio address on Mother’s Day in 1983, Reagan described his mother’s Bible, saying that it had important events, underlined passages, and insights scrawled in margins. He said that his mother wrote all of these.  Reagan said that she used that Bible to instruct her two sons. Reagan placed his hand on his mother’s Bible when he took the oath of office in 1981 and 1985.

On Mothers’ Day in 1985, Reagan talked about his mother in another radio address. He said that she was “always ever so strong in her determination, always tender, always giving of herself to others.” He said that she was always living the values she tried to instill in him and his brother. He called her the greatest influence on his life. When Reagan became prosperous as a movie actor, he brought his mother and father to Hollywood. He gave them the first home they ever owned.

I am sure that Nelle Reagan encouraged her boys to live in the way described in Titus 2:

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 
in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,
with purity in doctrine, dignified, 
sound in speech which is beyond reproach,
so that the opponent will be put to shame,
having nothing bad to say about us.
Titus 2:6-9

 

 

 

 

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