“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”  2 Timothy 1:5

To have a Timothy you need a Eunice.  Long before the Apostle Paul influenced this young man the sincere faith of his mother was making its lasting impression.  Long after Timothy had become an effective minister of the gospel it was the faith of Eunice that continued to serve as his example.

I thank God for my Eunice.  My mother is a woman of great faith in God.  She is, in the words of my wife, “the perfect example of Proverbs 31.”  Every line.  All of the good things in my life were “first” in my mother.

My mother is a holy woman.  In a day of looseness and little modesty this is meaningful.  She truly is one of the “honorable women” and i honor her for it.

My mother is a hard-working woman.  I do not know a woman who works any harder.  More importantly, the work is always for the Lord and for others.  Never for herself.  My mom has not lived her life motivated by selfish ambition and she has accomplished more than most  women would in several lifetimes.

My mother is a hopeful woman.  Her smile and tone are always reminders that all is well.  God is working and the future is bright.

My mother is a humble woman.  Mom never sought to bring attention to herself.  She is my dad’s faithful helpmeet and the picture of a Christ-like servant.

My mother is a happy woman.  Perhaps the finest gift my parents gave to me and my sister was a happy home.  Mom made sure of it.  Growing up was fun, every day an adventure.  And now the adventure continues with our children.

John Quincy Adams declared, “All that I am my mother made me.”  Abraham Lincoln was only nine years of age when his mother died.  Later in life the 16th president of the United States said, “All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my darling mother.”  D.L. Moody similarly testified, “All that I have ever accomplished in life I owe to my mother.”  That is the power of a mother’s influence.

I am away from my mother but her faith has stayed with me.  The real test of influence is what one does when the influence is no longer there.  Daniel was 550 miles away from his mother in Babylon, but something had been put so deeply in his heart as a child that it never escaped him.  Samuel served in the Temple long after his mother had returned home, but it was his mother’s faith and prayers that put him there.  This was Timothy’s testimony too.

And it is mine.  Thanks, mom, for your love, prayers, and the constant influence on my life.