Mothering Sunday -- Sandra Day O'Connor

'Direct your children onto the right path.' Proverbs 22:6

When Harry and Ada Mae Day brought their first child Sandra home from the hospital, it was to a tiny ranch house without running water, electricity or a school within driving distance. But they refused to let their surroundings limit them. His father's death had precluded Harry from attending Stanford University (one of America's top universities) but he never lost hope that his daughter would study there. Ada Mae subscribed to educational newspapers and magazines, home-schooled her daughter and later sent her to the best boarding schools. Sandra did attend Stanford, then law school and eventually became the first woman Supreme Court Justice in America. The day she was sworn in she donned her robes and took her place among the other justices. Then she locked eyes with her family and the tears began.

Don't buy into the modern mindset that devalues motherhood; there's no more important job on earth. Solomon said, 'Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.'

What made Sandra Day O'Connor successful? Intelligence and ambition undoubtedly played a part. However, much of the credit goes to a determined little woman sitting in a four room mud-brick house reading to her children hour after hour and to parents who spent time on educational trips.

Chuck Swindoll says, 'As significant as political, military, educational, or religious figures may be, none compare to the impact made by mothers. Their words are never fully forgotten, their touch leaves an indelible impression...the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime. I ask you, who else has that kind of influence?'

http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today