There were a lot of women after the 1914 -18 War who never married. There were not enough men to go round and some women simply never met anyone to equal the ones they had lost.
At the top of our Road as I grew up lived the Misses A. Both had been engaged as the War had started and both had lost the men they loved. They never married but lived with their parents until they died, and then the sisters lived alone. They were lovely ladies, the Misses A. Very respected and known to be very devout, they went to a small Anglican church three streets further on. People were in affectionate awe of them.
About the time I was trying to persuade my parents that I really, really did want to go to church, the elder Miss A died, leaving the younger one alone. Down our Road everyone was very worried for the remaining Miss A – how would she cope? And wouldn’t she get very lonely? So my Mother had a brainwave – I could go to church if it was the little Anglican church three streets away and if I went with Miss A. so that someone was there to keep her safe.
According to the Bible I’d been given, we were supposed to love our neighbour and Miss A surely counted as a Neighbour? To my Mother’s surprise I agreed.
And so began one of the most influential and important friendships I’ve ever had. As I entered the church Miss A introduced me to all the people I didn’t know as “her young friend”. Realising I hadn’t a clue about how to handle the Prayer Book, she showed me, quietly and with no fuss, how to find my way through each week until I could manage on my own. When I was Confirmed she was so proud, and so she should have been, because it was largely through her patience, tact and kindness that I had got there.
Miss A was someone to share Jesus with; someone to have time for me. Age meant nothing, only that I could do things she couldn’t like shopping and changing library books . We went together to two services on a Sunday – morning and evening – and met at other times to share stories, worries, hopes and joys.
Another side of mothering is mentoring, preparing someone with tact, care and concern for the way ahead. Thinking of Mothering Sunday, who have we mentored; who are we mentoring? As churches, are we places of welcome and mentoring – helping people find their relationship with God and help them investigate what God is calling them to do? Part of this is also supporting people through their faith-walk, through the hard times and celebrating with them through the good. A part of this side of mothering is being prepared to answer questions too.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, we think of how patient you were with your Disciples. going through things with them lovingly till they got it right. Give us your patience and your wisdom to answer questions. Open our hearts and our eyes to people new to our churches so that we can welcome them lovingly in your name. Make us aware when people need some time and care to be nurtured in their faith and in their calling and give us the discernment to know how to do this. We ask this in your name.
Amen