Pensees: A Heroic Mother

A Heroic Mother

When I read the story of Amy Hawkins early this week I was moved by the powerful illustration she became of sacrificial love. She covered her little boys with her body and became a shield for them, saving their lives but possibly losing movement in her legs for the rest of hers.

I called the local bank and told them that our church would like to initiate a Mother’s Day gift for this heroic woman to help the Hawkins family financiallly. Not only do they have astronomical medical expenses now, but they must rebuild their home that was totally destroyed on April 7.

Alpine Bank has been very helpul. In my conversations with them and others I have said that the tornado illustrates the power of God and the motherly instinct to protect her young illustrates the safety God provides in Christ Jesus. In a real sense, God protects us from Himself.

We will give the first $1000. from funds designated for relief and we are hoping the community will add significantly to this. Alpine Bank has been very helpful and Cindy Swanson of WGSL has promised to use her influence to promote this on air. Our goal is to show the community that God’s people are moved to tears and stirred to action by the sufferings of others. We long to unite compassion with the message of Christ. Here is what I wrote to the bank:

Mother’s Day is just around the corner (May 12th to be exact), and the hearts and minds of the Rockford community are on one particular mother who grew up in the Rock River Valley. On April 7, 2006 when a deadly tornado ripped through Tennessee, Rockford native Amy Hawkins demonstrated the God-given instinct of self-forgetfulness implanted in the heart of every mother—a love that is always ready to risk life and limb to save her children. However, instinct is not enough. Only courage and character joined to a mommy’s protective instinct can produce the deliberate sacrificing of self in the critical moment. Amy Hawkins is a mother to remember. The beauty of motherhood like Amy’s is enhanced by the strength of character that so many moms show when they routinely deny themselves in order to benefit their families. We truly thank God for motherhood.

Many thanks to Alpine Bank who is enthusiastically helping us in this endeavor.