I really should save this for Mother’s Day. But I couldn’t help myself. Years ago, it seems like another life time ago now, I was a young lecturer at a seminary in California. For four consecutive years, I took my students down to hear Chuck Swindoll preach on a Sunday morning and then returned on Tuesday to take him out to lunch. For 2.5 hours he would shepherd my class and answer every question they could squeeze into the time about how to study the Bible and prepare to preach. It was marvelous.
Today I read that Chuck, just short of his 90th birthday has retired from his church to invest his remaining years with the ministry Insight for Living, writing a few more books, a podcast, and investing in some younger preachers. You know, typical stuff for a 90 year old man! Remarkable! I want to be just like him. I want to finish well with whatever time God gives me.
In the story below, from the online magazine ChurchLeaders, Janna Firestone, quotes from a recent sermon where Dr. Swindoll tells a story of his mother.
In a clip from a recent sermon, Chuck Swindoll told stories of his mother. “My mother was the earliest one to bring the name of Jesus to me,” shared the pastor.
Swindoll’s father worked long hours at a machine shop, so dinnertime often included Swindoll’s mom, his older brother, his older sister, and himself. Most nights after they prayed over the meal, Swindoll’s mom would share a Scripture with her children. She’d give each of them a handwritten note with the verse and encouraged each child to memorize God’s words.
“For every verse you memorize,” she said, “I’ll memorize two.”
Swindoll took the challenge to heart. “So, I memorized one,” he shared. “Sure enough, she memorized two.”
“So, I put her to the test. I memorized two; she memorized four,” Swindoll continued. “I memorized a chapter; she memorized a chapter. I decided, okay, I memorized James, and I strutted myself before her and quoted the book of James.”
Swindoll’s mother said, “Sit down,” and proceeded to quote the books of Philippians and Colossians.
“I said, ‘Game is over. I’m done,’” shared Swindoll. “That was my mother.”
Swindoll went on to tell more of his deep love, appreciation, and respect for his mother. “She had her own problems; she certainly wasn’t perfect, but she loved Jesus. And she made it clear that we were to know Jesus and walk with him and learn his Word,” he said.
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