As I was looking back over things Joe had written me int he past, I thought this first Mother’s Day poem was too wonderful of an encouragement to mothers to keep to myself. May it bless the hearts of other mothers today as well!

Your Glorious High Call
For My Beautiful Wife on her First Mother’s Day

For you my dear love, on your first Mother’s Day,
I offer to you, Bible truth that I pray
God would well use to aid you in your call
of leading small Abby to know Jesus as All.

In eternity past, there was only One
infinite God—Father, Spirit and Son.
He existed alone, His fellowship sweet,
with a Three Person Joy, all needs did He meet.

Yet the joy of the Three could not be contained.
For like a deep spring, God was constrained
to flood His own Person—to overflow
and create the whole earth, His glory to show.
Yes in the Beginning, God did give birth
to all of the heavens, the waters and earth.
By His sov’reign power, He made the decree
to fashion His creatures that they might see
the infinite riches of His joy in Christ
and in turn make known, His Divine Life.
O God in His goodness flooded His rim
that all His creation might joy’fly praise Him!

But before He created, before time begun,
He knew and predestined you in His Son.
He appointed for you a time and a place,
as one in His number of tongue, tribe, and race.
He called you from darkness into His light
and brought you to joy by His saving might.
And not only that, but He planned all your ways.
He knew you full well and numbered your days.

And one in this number was March seventeen,
when our little Abby showed up on the scene.
This day our God issued His call
and chose to grant you a joy of great awe.
He made you a mom, gave you a life,
and called you to love little Abby to Christ.

The call of a mother, how gloriously high!
Is it even possible? Should any mom try?
Yet the God of all glory, the God of all grace
called you to this—He made this your race.
Yes God set before you the impossible run
of shepherding a soul through Jesus the Son.
He made this your burden! He made this your lot!
He called to do what you cannot.

But I know you my love—I know you know you’re too weak.
You don’t have it in you to do what we speak.
For the shaping of hearts can only be wrought
by the Spirit of God—not humanly taught.
Yes a miracle’s needed in this little soul
for her to love Jesus and enjoy His control.

Yet in all this, I think you know what’s next
from the glorious truths we love in God’s text.
For all throughout Scripture the paradox is clear.
The horse we prepare, but God must draw near!
Yes my dear love, you know this is our race.
We run our hardest and trust Christ for His grace.

And how thankful I am to know that you see
that you are a Christian and therefore will be
always dependent on Jesus above—
the God of all mercy, the God of all love.
Yes, my dear love, I know you keep it in sight
that to be a great mother, you need God’s might!
So I tell you my dear, never despair!
Rejoice in your weakness! For your strength is there!

Your task is not easy—for it cannot be done.
But through prayer and much running, a soul will be won.
As humbly you come to Him day after day,
He’ll mold little Abby in the Truth and the Way.
No matter how simple the action may be,
the River is flowing so that she sees
the glorious light of our great God above,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the One whom we love.

The miracle’s needed. This we cannot contest.
But in His great strength, you do your best
to pour out your heart and soul to the end,
that your dear child might know Jesus as Friend.
O my love continue—keep pursuing the Lord,
seeking His face, straining toward
Him, your Portion, the Desire of your Soul,
Almighty Creator, your Utmost Goal.
Yes, seek His face and pray for the might
to point your dear child to Him, the True Light.

And in all of this, make sure you’re aware
that you’re never alone, that nothing will tear
the bond that’s between us, grounded in Christ;
as we are a team, united in life.
For I know full well that God calls me to lead
both you and our children to constantly feed—
to partake of the One who called Himself Life,
the Heavenly Loaf, the sweet Bread of Christ.
And by His grace, I’ll do all that I can
that we may each, on Him depend.
Yet in all of this, many menial tasks
will be your portion, with no praise to grasp.
I will not see them, the secrets will not get out.
Your tiny works won’t receive shout.
Day after day, your works may not be seen
And only on God will you be able to lean.

But in the end, the rewards will be sweet.
The joy that’s delayed, one day you’ll meet.
You’ll know joy that’s endless, infinite rewards
as you’ll have a hand, in guiding hearts towards
Jesus our Savior, the One Whom we long,
our Prophet and Priest, our King and our Song.
For as your dear child goes forth from your hand,
her joy in Jesus will surely expand.
And ev’ry life that’s blessed, every soul that’s saved
will in part be to you, and the impact you have made.

O my beauty seek your pleasure, in our God above
so that you overflow into the little one you love.
Yes let your joy expand as daily you impart
the very love of God, into your child’s heart.
And at the end of day, let your heart be filled with joy
by the truth that all your business was the Lord’s employed
and that the call of mother is a call of grace,
a gift right from His hand—for this time and place.

O to be a mother! What a glorious high call!
And NO! it’s not impossible when Jesus is your All.
For you are His chosen vessel and His work He’s bound to do;
He’s destined to change millions through mothers just like you.