Mom\’s Not A Robot

Are you sure you are not a robot?

The Trip Lee song that inspired the title of this post is an creatively excellent explanation of the transition from living for self to living for God. It is incredibly clever because it really puts in perspective the classic accusation that has been applied to Christ followers: \”Christian\’s are just mindless robots.\” Without Christ you are a robot. The truth of the gospel sets you free from the destination of your godless robotic self. Pardon my use of the artistic interpretation of the Bible, but I like how it reads.

34-38 Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn’t yet penetrated your thick skulls. I’m talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father.” John 8:35-38The Message (MSG)

Even if it is not the style of music you prefer, I encourage you to soak in the lyrics, they will bless you. Warning: you will find yourself singing \”I\’m nota I\’m nota robot now.\” Additional Warning: if your kids hear it they will drive you crazy singing the chorus.

What in the world? Robot Camel Jockeys?

Just when you thought the world of camel racing could not get any better! Crazy! I wonder if they spend a lot of time accessorizing those little robots with special outfits. The whole idea of robots racing camels brings so many questions to mind. How do the replaced Jockey\’s feel? How often does the whip arm of the robot have to be oiled? Who was the innovator who disrupted the world of camel racing? How often do the robot operators get into car accidents?

Can a mother be replaced?

My mother actually sent me the video of that cute little girl. It is probably the cutest thing I have seen as it relates to robots. As sweet as it is, if you put the little girl\’s mother next to the water heater my guess is she would prefer her mom to the \”robot.\” Technology is everywhere, and it is advancing rapidly. If you happen to grab fast food now and then be sure to watch the cooks in the back so that you can tell your grandchildren about the days when people use to flip burgers. A burger flipping robot is going to handle that in the near future. We are not talking about hundreds of years from now. We are talking in our lifetime, in the very near future. The trucking industry is going to be completely disruptedin the next decade. Too tired to go tot he store? No problem. We will sit at home waiting for our groceries to be delivered to our front door.

Like I said in the newsletter, think about the reality of how we can easily be replaced. Think about the repetitive tasks in just about any job. I was talking with theSamaritan Ministries International communications team about the Mother\’s Day mailing and the whole discussion about the future of humanity being replaced by robots quickly became a little depressing. We quickly discovered that large portions of our jobs could be easily replaced, if not improved, by robots. The conversation became pretty heavy.

The good news for believers is that we are not bound by the weights of this world. Sure we experience them, but our faith is not in technology or humanity. Our faith is in the Living and One True God. If we advance, it is by God’s common grace that we are even able. God’s purposes are never thwarted. This is why I also know that mothers will not be replaced by technology. Not that mankind will not try to make it happen, in fact I am certain we will make the attempt. I would be surprised if there are godless people attempting it even as I write this. Our sinful nature cries out for us to be the deciders of our fate and the god of our own lives. I personally have yet to see this work out well for anyone that has tried.  So while technology has progressed, the heart of mankind has not. We all want world hunger to end, yet it persists. We want to live at peace, yet wars and their rumors persist.

\”Matt, all this talk about robots, our sinful nature, and theology of motherhood is beautiful, but where is the good stuff?\”

\"Happy

These beautiful mothers and incredible staff members are the good stuff. Mothers who have bravely chosen life, and are doing an incredible job caring for their little ones. The Memphis Morning Center staff work tirelessly, often times dealing with very difficult circumstances. These moments of holding the result of hours of hard work that can often times with heartache and tears, are a true blessing from God. Motherhood is not easy. Having a baby is not easy. Helping someone in their time of need is not easy. Add all the other challenges of life and these moments take on a meaningful richness that fuels our work.

On a personal note, I wish I had hair like sweet little Allison (first baby pictured on the left)! Alas, it was not in God\’s plan. With Allison in the first image on the left is Wendy, our Medical Assistant. Next is Elaine and Shelly holding baby Allison. Elaine is our Practice Administrator and Shelly is one of our nurses. The Memphis team is really fantastic. Please pray for the team. The work is beautiful, but it really can be hard. It is not the kind of job that you are able to easily shut off at 5 o\’clock. This can wear on your soul.

The next best thing to holding babies is eating donuts! Before Elaine could eat a donut, she had to translate what was on the top of the box. Translation: Happy Mother\’s Day! One of the other challenges we face on a regular basis is being able to understand a clients situation becuase of a language barrier. Please pray for volunteers with linguistic skills that would want to come serve in our clinics. The number of countries and ethnicities Memphis Morning Center has served is crazy! I think we are up to 34! Wow.

Remember baby 200? Awesome mom Leilah stopped by one of the Memphis clinics recently with little Kimathi, and big sister Kendal. Kendal cracks me up. If little sister Kimathi is anything like her sister they are going to be hilarious!

To wrap it up let me say \”thank you\” to you moms. You are not a robot. Far from it. You are a beautiful work of God. Hand crafted and worthy of recognition. I think there was great intention in God decreeing the Messiah to be born. It is a mysterious statement of how much God values women. He loves you with such depth. Take a short amount of time and meditate on that truth.

If you are reading this and you are not a mom, please tell your mother how much she means to you. If that is not possible for whatever reason, find a mother you know and tell her she is valued.

Thank you for supporting the work we do here at the Morning Center. If you would like to join the team that financially and prayerfully makes our work possible, just click this sentence, or the \”Donate\” link in the menu at the top.

In Christ,

Matt Larson
National Director of the Morning Center