Through the lens of God: Motherhood

I stopped and sighed. "Why dear Lord, does this precious child insist on taking every book out of the rack? I really do not have the energy to help him pick it all up, again!"
Do you have moments like this? If you are a mother, I am going to guess that this occurs at least twice a day if not more, depending on the age of your precious blessings! So, what am I learning about raising my sweet, charging, strong boys?

Motherhood~ "No one can do for them, what I can do for them!" Are you surprised to find the same statement made about motherhood that I made about marriage? Well, it is true. So, I must ask again, what am I doing for them?

I was chosen to be their mama and although honestly there are tough days where I am sure God mixed my name up with someone else's, it does not diminsh the fact that indeed I was equiped to be their mama, not anyone else!

In her book, The Mission of Motherhood, Sally Clarkson so beautifully states, "children, by nature, are designed to take up our time. We develop the heart of our children by spending time with them, just as Jesus spent time with his disciples. He not only taught them truth but also practical application. Jesus invested in them and gave them his whole life."

And so it is also my calling to invest my whole life into them. Motherhood has gotten a very skewed modern-day vision placed upon it. I don't need to list the many things said about motherhood these days, I know that you can already think of many. So, instead I will ask this question, "Where do you stand on the debate?" This is where God says we should stand: on the side of yielding. Not half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly to the vision He gives us for motherhood, because His original idea works and it is also the path to much joy, contentment and peace.

Now those may not be the first three words that come to every mother's mind when she thinks about the highchair that is dirty again, the laundry that never makes it to the drawers, the potty-training 3 year old, the homeschool papers to be graded, the whining that needs to be dealt with at the heart level. No these "things/circumstances" do not seem to be high joy-producing circumstances, but I am going to be brave and say that is because our focus and lens is skewed.

Clarkson also states in her book that every act of disobedience and foolishness is an opportunity to point our children to their need of a Savior. It is my opportunity to train their hearts and minds in righteousness. Wow! Now, do you think that is how God looks at my foolishness? As an opportunity? To be honest, I cannot think of a time that I heard from heaven, "Melissa~ do you understand what I am telling you? Why on earth would you do that again?" No, I feel the tug at my heart and hear the call of my Father to be still and get back on track. That gentle and loving way that He has when disciplining His children, those whom He calls His heirs.

Whatever vision of motherhood I have, I need to leave it behind and get into God's word to see what He says it should look like. Then I have to "clean house" and get busy about being the kind of mother that builds life into her children and says, "Thank you Lord that my precious child has a desire to read and learn! Oh, my sweet boy!" The feeling I had when I rounded the corner and saw this....

The depth of my relationship with my children provides them with stability (or a lack of). They will either believe my words because they see my life authenticating them or they will know the shallow depth of my attempt at connecting with them.

Love is spelled T.I.M.E. in the eyes of a child. What else is more important than cultivating their hearts for the precious message of Christ's love for them? I simply cannot think of anything...

So, won't you join me in the 32 day challenge to grow more deeply connected with your children? Won't you take the time to invest in them like God calls us to do? Come back tomorrow to start the challenge! See you then~