My mom was not perfect. But she was committed to being a good Christian mother. And I believe her actions testified to her commitment to her motherhood and to her faith.
I did not think much of it as a kid. I had assumed that all moms just stayed at home and took care of their kids. But when I was in high school, she sought employment at the city public school. Only then did I come to realize that my mom was a teacher. But she had put that on hold to care for her four boys until we were older. She wanted to make sure we were properly cared for and guided in the right path. Together with my dad, she provided the stable foundation of Christian virtue and values.
I cannot remember a time when church life was not part of our experience as a family. We consistently participated in church events and activities. My parents had instilled in us a love for Christ and for his church. My mom did her part in this task. Sunday was always set aside for worship. My mom always made sure that everything was ready on Saturday night. She would wake us up early on Sunday morning, and did not give in to the protests of four sleepy boys.
Easter Sunday was especially challenging, for we always attended the sunrise service of our church. That meant waking up much earlier than usual. But somehow she managed to get us to the place of worship on time. (Mind you, we had no car at that time and had to depend on public transport.) And truth be told, despite our complaints as we prepared to go, we boys actually enjoyed our times there and were actually glad we went.
Then we had to move to a new place, farther away from the church of which we were a part. While still going to that church, we started attending a home Bible study in a neighbor’s house. That Bible study grew to become a new church. Being closer to our new home we knew we had greater opportunity to be involved in this church’s life and so decided to join this church. We continued the practice of consistently participating in worship, prayer meeting, Bible study, and in other church ministries. It had come to the point where my mom no longer had to push us. Church had become very much a part of our personal lives. This is the church where I finally made the decision to surrender my life to Jesus as my Lord. My parents’ faith had become my very own faith. And this is the church that the Lord used to draw me into full-time gospel ministry.
Cecilia Maud Yuzon Jainga. Dedicated mother and devoted Christian. She did her part in fulfilling her God-given role in my life. Thanks, mom!
—Keith Y. Jainga