Bringing it Back to the Mother

I read Jacob 5 today--the Allegory of the Olive Tree.

I've read this so many times, but today, a few verses particularly stood out to me and were perfectly related to the work I'm doing at Power of Moms.

At one point in the chapter, the Lord of the vineyard is grieving over the fact that the whole vineyard is lost--there isn't any good fruit in it at all.

So He counsels with His servant, and they decide to spare it a little longer and see what they can do.

Verse 54: "Wherefore, that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft them in unto them.  Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree . . ."

Verse 60: "And because that I have preserved the natural branches and the roots thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches again into their mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their mother tree, that, perhaps, the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again good fruit . . ."

So it all came back to the mothers.

Verse 65: " . . . and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft . . ."

Verse 66: " . . . ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad . . ."

We just work hard every day--little improvements, small challenges, a bit of growing and "becoming" one day at a time.

Verse 73: "And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly . . ."  (Loved that since we use those words at Power of Moms so often.)

Verse 75: " . . . blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard . . . ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit . . ."

As I read that last verse, I just felt so grateful to be a part of the Lord's work to reclaim mothers and families.  I get emails just about every day from mothers who are grateful for this site.  They are finding hope in motherhood again, and they are feeling that they can carry these heavy burdens--and do it well (and with joy!). 

I feel that same strengthening power, and I know it is not because of me.  It's because of the goodness of God.