Chuck Norris' Mom is 100! No Joke!

The Psalmist reminds us of the necessity of modeling and speaking the principles of Scripture to the next generations. In Psalm 78, we can read these words:
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

The consequences of failing to do this is found in Judges 2:10, which says, after that death of Joshua, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel."

Jesus is alive and working by His Holy Spirit, and He moves through the hearts of His people. We certainly have to be diligent to follow Him, to keep His word, and to leave a testimony behind of His faithfulness.  We can strive, under the Spirit's power, to bear lasting fruits that shows the work of God in and through us. 

+++++

Faith in Christ is something that can be passed down and passed on - we are each responsible for receiving Christ ourselves, but past generations, such as parents and mentors, may influence a person's faith in Him. Paul wrote in 2nd Timothy 1:
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,
4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

Last year, the famed actor and professing Christian Chuck Norris turned 80 years old.  That's no joke. But, an ABC affiliate in Utah, coinciding with the occasion, related some Chuck Norris jokes - of which there are many - including:

Chuck Norris doesn’t climb trees. He just pulls them down and walks on top of them.

Chuck Norris doesn’t actually write books. The words assemble themselves out of fear.

Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch. He simply decides what time it is.

It's also not a joke to announce that on May 4, Chuck Norris' mother had her 100th birthday! He wrote a tribute on WND.com, saying:

Wow! I looked at her a few days ago and said, "You're a centenarian!" She replied in jest, "I'm not a centipede!"

Chuck relates his mother, Wilma Norris Knight, was "raised in abject poverty," was made a ward of the state at age 8 and suffered from a disease which hospitalized her for two years.  Then, the Great Depression came; the entire family worked the fields.  At age 16, she married, but he later left, which forced to raise her three sons, of which Chuck was the oldest, by herself.  Norris relates:

Mom has been an example of perseverance and faith her whole life. She is the last survivor of her 11-member biological family. She's also endured the deaths of her two husbands, a stepson, two grandchildren and my younger brother Wieland in the Vietnam War. She's had cancer repeatedly and has gone through roughly 30 different surgeries for a host of issues – and yet she's still here to tell about it.

He also testified to his mother's devotion to prayer, saying:

My mother has prayed for me all my life, through thick and thin. When I was born, I almost died from complications. When nearly losing my soul to Hollywood a few decades ago, she was back home praying for my success and salvation. She even prayed for me to find a woman to change my life, and it worked.

God brought his wife, Gena, into his life.  He concluded by saying:

I love you, Mom! Happy 100th birthday! And Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Gena! I thank God for you both every day! And I thank you for helping God to make me all I can and should be.

Remember, never underestimate the effect of a godly woman. That last paragraph helps me call to mind a milestone last November, when my late mother turned 98, just months before departing this earth earlier this year.  And, it is no secret that I have been affected in a positive way in my walk with Christ through my wife's influence and prayers. Christian men should demonstrate the necessary affirmation for the women in their families and certainly in the Church.

We should always recognize those who have been an influence on you.  Perhaps a word of appreciation would be in order.  And, we can certainly learn about ourselves as we consider how those who have intersected with us have made an impact.  

The Bible speaks of making an impact on the next generation. I have heard it said that today's young people would be positively affected by learning from past generations.  The mother of Chuck Norris had experienced poverty and abandonment, yet she persevered and has lived a long, full life - and she's not done yet!  Our times are in God's hands, certainly, but we can also take necessary steps - including walking in Godly wisdom, as was discussed on the radio show the other day, in order to maximize our time that He gives to us.