A Special Mother's Day May 2012

A special Mother’s Day I had a blessed Mother’s Day a few weeks ago. Mother’s Day is usually not particularly exciting. First my beloved mother had passed away for more than 15 years. Second, I do not have children. There is not much incentive to celebrate on Mother’s Day. When Victor was pastoring a church in California, we usually had some special program on that Sunday. I usually would receive a flower with all the mothers together, from one of the Sunday School children. Sometimes in those moments I felt tinges of “barrenness,” not having my own child. Most of the time, we did our best to be a blessing to others on that day. This year our colleagues scheduled admissions interview for our programme in Zhuhai on Mother’s Day. Perhaps because we are a bunch of workaholics with nothing special to celebrate on Mother’s Day! I figured that it might be good to experience a Mother’s Day without the usual church activities. It turned out to be very special Mother’s Day. I joined the Morrison Chapel for morning worship. The Morrison family is my great inspiration. Robert Morrison, the first missionary to China, stationed in Macao to begin the arduous task of translating the Bible into English. The Morrison Chapel is located right next to the Old Protestant cemetery in Macao where Morrison, his first wife Mary Morrison, their newborn son were buried, and their 2nd son John Robert Morrison who followed his father’s path serving as a missionary. Mary, the first wife of Morrison, was a great comfort to Morrison after he spent several lonely years on the mission field as a solitary missionary. Her life was somewhat sad. Their firstborn died soon after birth. Mary never quite recovered from the loss, leading to physical and emotional problems later. As a young wife, Mary had to endure separation as Morrison traveled to Canton for half a year (foreign women are not allowed in Canton in those days). She had to care for the young family all by herself (she later had 2 children after the death their firstborn). She became so ill she had to return to England with her young children. Upon their return to Macao, the family’s joy together was brief as she soon died of cholera while expecting another child. I celebrated Mary’s life. She is a sacrifice to mission work. It was a life full of pain and suffering. How hard it must have been for her as a wife and mother! Yet it is a life that bears fruits, although she would not see it not in her days. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. “ (Hebrew 11:13) Morrison’s second wife, Eliza Amstrong, was also a great inspiration. Knowing the path of a missionary wife’s life to be difficult, she courageously set forth on this journey. She was a loving mother to Morrison and Mary’s children. Similar to Mary, she also became so ill that she had to return to England. While being apart, Morrison passed away in Canton. After Morrison passed away, she took care of all their children and organized Morrison’s letters into a bibliography (Memoirs of the Life and Labours of Robert Morrison Vol. 1 & 2) These women inspire me. On Mother’s Day, I remembered them and celebrated their lives. The Morrisons offer their firstborn (who died living only one day) and their stillborn child on the altar of submission. Two years ago, the Lord has revealed to me that “not having” is my offering on the altar. I submit to His sovereign will. The church usher offered me a rose but I declined, thinking that it should be reserved for the real mothers. The Lord lifted me up through the worship songs and congregational reading. (It is good to have Anglican worship once in a while!) He reminded me once again to offer my “not having” on the altar. When I left, I asked the usher for a rose (now that there are leftovers). This is the first rose I asked and received from the Lord, to bless me with motherhood and make me a mother in the way He wants me to be. My day of work with colleagues was good as well!