One Man’s Mama and Another Man’s Wife
A few weeks ago Mary Evelyn directed our church’s children’s outreach class in a Christmas play. One little boy whom I’ll call Sammie had acted up in practice. This continued on the night of the performance, while the costumed children waited in a classroom for the time when the play was to begin. Sammie informed us emphatically that he was NOT going to be in the play after all.
Soon Sammie started talking about his fears that his mother wouldn’t show up. My heart broke for the little guy. Nothing we had learned about this family gave me hope that she would come, but she did. I wish you could have seen Sammie’s face when he learned that she was in one of the back rows of the church.
Sammie’s performance was stellar.
Jamie Dailey didn’t have to worry about whether his mama would come to his concert on Saturday afternoon. That’s one reason his performance was stellar.
As we were mingling after the concert on Saturday afternoon, I saw a lady who I thought was probably Jamie Dailey’s mama. I had met his daddy before. He delivers our concert tickets to our house and delivers lots of other folks’ tickets to their houses, too.
When I got close enough to the lady, I could see his face in hers. I introduced myself and told her that one of the joys of moving to this area was getting to experience this wonderful music. I tried to tell her what the concert had meant to me, but, as you may remember, I don’t have the words to do that yet. Still, I gave it a try. She expressed genuine appreciation. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tell her that she did a good job [being his mama]. From the look on her face and her sweet words, I could tell that she was thrilled to hear it.
We also spotted Darrin Vincent’s wife and introduced ourselves to her. Ray told her how much he appreciates her husband’s faith. I told her that I appreciate her role as the wife of a man who is on tour so much. She said that he was in a band with his family when they married, so it was all they had ever known. Then, there in the aisle between the folding chairs, we three had a deep conversation about the most important things.
Is it politically correct to say, “Behind every good man is a good woman” anymore? Before the “women’s liberation movement” of the 1970s, people recognized the importance of “good women” who were behind men who made a difference in the world. Now that the world tells women that we are “supposed” to make a big mark in the world, too, we may have lost some of the beauty of our roles as wives and mothers who quietly and profoundly help our husbands and sons do amazing things.
That adage hasn’t actually been true about every man, but I know it is true about the young evangelist Timothy and about Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan . . .
. . . and Dr. Ben Carson — and about Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent. The world needs good women, but sometimes I think there is an even greater need for great men. Let’s cherish our role of being their wives and mamas.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:23
For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you,
which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois
and your mother Eunice,
and I am sure that it is in you as well.
2 Timothy 1:5