While we were at the conference, some of us talked about our mothers and wondered why none of us mention them much, even though our mothers are the ones who have influenced and shaped our lives perhaps more than anyone else. It’s hard for me to blog about Mama because it is hard to say anything about her without sounding like I’m bragging and because I know she doesn’t like attention. But here goes.

As I sit here and think of my mother, what comes to mind? Fire, Zeal for God’s Word, Righteousness, No Compromising, and Tenderness. If I were to write a book about her, it would be called My Mother is a Warrior.

Some of my first memories of Mama are pretty normal, I guess. I remember her cooking in the kitchen, doing the laundry, and cleaning up around the house, scolding us (in Chinese), taking lots of pictures, teaching in Sunday School and the Junior Bible Club.

But there are things about Mama I’ve always taken for granted that as I get older I realize are very special.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve heard Mama and Papa discussing theology early in the morning or late at night, saying things like “x is Jesus” (I always wondered what that meant), pulling open humongous heavy books, and going back and forth about the interpretation of this or that verse or the root of some Hebrew or Greek word. I used to take it for granted that Mama has always had a thorough understanding of Papa’s work and writing. She reads and edits everything Papa writes.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve taken it for granted to see Mama stay up all night studying, the living room table covered with books. Various Bible translations in English and Japanese, sometimes Chinese also, the Hebrew OT, Greek NT, Septuagint, various lexicons and dictionaries, commentaries, and then countless pages of charts and papers covered with her handwritten notes. She prepares like that for every class, every seminar. From Mama’s classes over the years, the serious ladies at church have learned little by little to do in-depth study of the Bible on their own, and some have learned to study using Hebrew and Greek interlinears. Sometimes, Mama works at the office so long she doesn’t come home till morning.

And somehow doing all that she does, she still makes so much time for her children that she knows everything I do and gives me a lot of advice … about everything (whether I ask for it or not! LOL).