EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

Motherhood is not for the weak. May each momma (regardless of how you received the title) feel blessed and honored this year. If you don’t have someone close by to spoil you; please do something special for yourself.

I’ve told the story prior (you remember things after seven times!), of Susanna Wesley, mother of famously known brothers John and Charles, who was a woman of deep dependence on prayer. She was known for sitting in her chair for two hours a day with her kitchen apron pulled up over her head while the surviving 10 of 19 delivered children read, studied and played around her. 

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV

Sweet apron history I found years ago. Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was easier to wash aprons than dresses, and aprons used less material. It also served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. When the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big, old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes. We would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron; however, I think mostly love was caught from an apron! (Reference unknown).

I love aprons and I have a whole box! I likely won’t be cooking Mother’s Day, but if so, I’ll be wearing one of my favorites! Blessed Mother’s Day. I love you’ Shirley, you’re the best mom-in-love a girl could ask for! 

Robin (Beckman) Gudal is intentional in life, a wife, momma, nana, friend and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.