Our Mom

(May 5, 2008)

Bobby David Roberts was my childhood best buddy. Exactly when David and I met is far too removed in the clouds of early childhood for me to remember. We literally have known each other all our lives. David was born about two weeks after me. Our families attended Calvary Baptist Church in Yazoo City long before we started elementary school together. Jonathan and David; “Junior” Jenkins and David Roberts; we were inseparable during those vital childhood years that formed us into the men we were to become. Sleeping over at each other’s house was a big event for both of us. One learns far too late in life that the richest people on earth, not in dollars, but in grace, are those who have had a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A couple weeks ago David, who gets spammed like the rest of you with these weekly missives, sent an email saying the drawing of the “Old Jenkins House” brought back warm memories for him, too. “It brought back many Sunday meals with Pop and Mom before traipsing off into the outdoor world of fantasy and hope (on Graball Hill). I miss that...still just a kid in a grownup body,” David wrote.

But what David wrote elsewhere touched me deeply. Knowing the reason for my recent trip home was to see Mother who has had some health challenges recently, David wrote: “Hope you find our "Mom" to be well.”

It should not have been an epiphany. But hearing David articulate in such kind words that my mother was like a second mother to David (as Mrs. Roberts was to me) touched my heart.

Brett Blair sends an email each week with interesting stories and illustrations I often use in my sermons. This week, he referred to the little known passage in Romans 16:13 where Paul wrote: “Give mygreetings to Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." Most scholars agree Paul was saying, “Say hello to Rufus and his mother, who was like a mother to me!” {Sidebar: Rufus was the name of one of Simon of Cyrene’s sons. It may be that this Rufus’ mother was the wife of the man who carried Jesus’ cross!}

Many of us long for the good old days, when we as children went to our best buddy’s home, and his mother was for that time and place “our mom” too. We shared our time, our toys, our dreams and ambitions, our games; and without realizing it; our mothers’ love.

Only mothers have enough love to share with those her children love as well.

Sunday is “our mom’s” day! What better way to honor them than to celebrate their love that often spilled over to include our best buddies.

I love you Momma Jenks; and I love you Bobby David, my dear, dear brother.

From the Quote Garden
“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”
~ Tenneva Jordan

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