Mother's Knees

When I was a young mom, a friend once asked me if I had experienced the symptoms of "mother's knees" yet. She laughed and explained to me that "mother's knees" were dry, red, sore knees, resulting from kneeling over the bathtub every night to bathe children! I began to think of all the kneeling that a mother does for her children throughout the years, and I came up with quite a list. Among the bathing, trying shoes, picking up toys, and other daily tasks of a Christian mother, is praying for her children. I've heard many mothers speak of the time they've spent on their knees in prayer for their children, and it seems that the less time is spent attending to their needs, the more time is spent in prayer for children as they grow. Now that our children are pretty much grown, I'm convinced of it!

I know that many mothers spend more time in prayer for their children who are teenagers and are becoming more independent. I also know that "mother's knees" is a condition that continues even after the children leave home and are no longer under their mother's care. I once knew a great-grandmother who bought a new mattress and two well worn spots were discovered on the edge of her old one when family members replaced it. The spots were worn out by her elbows, she explained, as she knelt by her bed each night to pray for her children, who were then grandparents!

For years now, I have participated with a group of friends who take turns offering a daily prayer via email for our children. When the recent fatal shooting took place in a Knoxville high school, a few of my friends' children were directly affected by the trauma. One mother remarked that our daily prayers meant so much in the midst of that event, knowing that other moms were praying specifically for her kids.

We never know who is praying for us, or what our lives would be like if others were not praying for us. Kneeling in prayer is not the sole responsibility of mothers for their children. I've heard of neighbors who pray for the teenagers living nearby as they hear the car leave in the evenings, and how they thank God for their safe return when they come home. Having Christian parents who have prayed for us is something wonderful to be thankful for, and we should take time to return thanks for them and others who have prayed for us. We should become aware of the rewards of "mother's knees" and consider the amount of time that we spend praying for our children and others.