From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
If you have ever had to apply for a job it is almost standard procedure to submit a resume, complete with references that can be called to speak on your behalf.
I have been a reference for so many over the years, and it is a delight (usually) to share with the prospective employer about the strong attributes of the one applying for the position.
A strong endorsement by a referee can make or break a person’s chances to get the job.
At the end of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, we see a shopping list of names of people whom Paul has met on his missionary journeys.
Most get a brief nod of acknowledgement, but then there is this one in Romans 16:13: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.”
Look at that, tucked away in the final few verses of one of the greatest books of the New Testament, and many of us have missed it.
Rufus gets high marks for being “chosen in the Lord” but then Paul goes further.
He acknowledges his mom.
Without disclosing her name, he gives her some of the highest praise a woman could ever receive.
In a society that has so many broken homes, for various reasons, we need men and women to step up and be dads and moms to those who need this vital relationship.
Personally, I am indebted to the many adoptive grandmothers my children have had over the years in our church.
My late father-in-law, Rev. James Thomson, became a father to me after the death of my dad.
I could go on and on.
Rufus’ mom did something for this great apostle that was worthy of mentioning and he became the better for it.
Let’s take a lesson here and look for ways that we can be a spiritual mom or dad in the lives of others.
