I trust that for those of you who are mothers, you had a wonderful mothers day. I know I did. It started out with getting up early to get ready for church, and finding my three kids upstairs in a dark bedroom, whispering and talking. Upon asking them what they were doing, I was quickly informed that I could not enter the room.
Shortly after, I was lavished with hugs, sweet presents and cards from them and from my husband. (He is, and always has been, the ultimate gift giver-thanks honey!). Then we had a great morning at church, a wonderful lunch with my mom and in-laws, and ended the day with a fun evening with my mom and the rest of my family at her house. It was truly a day full of family and love.
Yesterday morning, I told each of my daughters individually how blessed I was to have them as a daughter. I also took a moment to tell my son how blessed I was to have him as my son. They really are such sweet, precious kids (but of course, Im not biased at all - hee hee.)
But in all seriousness, I am so proud of them, and so proud to be their mom. I look into their faces and see some of myself, some of my husband, and some of the special and unique qualities that make them who they are. I think about all the times when they were just little tiny things, snuggling in my lap and worshipping my every move. I think about all the times now that even though they are too big for my lap, that we can still snuggle and share sweet moments (I dont know about the worshipping of my every move anymore though; but hey, we cant have everything we want. Smiles.)
They truly are the biggest blessings in my life. What I did to deserve them, I honestly do not know. Thank you Jesus.
My prayer yesterday was that I would remember what an honor it is to be a mom, every day, not just on mothers day. That I remember to tell my children constantly how thrilled I am to have them as my children and how proud I am of them, and not just on a random day picked out by retailers to sell more greeting cards.
That I would remember to look into their sweet faces each day, and focus on what a blessing they are - even when mouths are back talking, eyes are rolling, siblings are fighting, and shoes and clutter are scattered all over the place as if a full blown tornado had ripped through our house.
I am the first to admit, that it is so easy to get caught up in doing life for our kids, that we forget to do life with our kids; to get caught up in doing things for them, that we forget to make time do things with them; to get caught up in working to provide for our kids material needs and neglect to spend time with them nurturing their spiritual and emotional needs.
Mothers day is a wonderful day, and I imagine that most moms look forward to it every year. It is a day dedicated to focusing on family, being grateful for having moms and being moms and remembering moms.
But I really believe that God did not intend for mothers day to only be once per year, but instead, to be 365 days per year. To wake up every morning, and focus on being the mom that God called us to be.
Even though children can be trying at times, regardless of whether they are toddlers, teenagers or grown adults, nothing holds a candle to the treasures that they are, and there is simply no higher calling than that of being a mom.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is a stark reminder that there is a lot more to this motherhood thing than diaper changing, bottle fixing, laundry washing, snotty nose cleaning, manners lessons, time out corners, ceasing back-talk, messy bedrooms, boyfriends, shopping, and driving instructions.
Motherhood is not merely about what we do or how much we do, but the way in which we do it.
Parents are called to nurture our children, care for all of their needs, and prepare them to become independent and functioning adults. But even more important, we are called to impart to them a spiritual legacy.
Sometimes it seems easier to invest enormous amounts of time nurturing our children, than it does to teach them to love and respect the Lord and His Word. But as parents, we are our childrens primary role model for faith, and if we do not take seriously the calling of building up the spiritual lives of our children, then we take the risk of giving someone else the opportunity to mold their spiritual future, and that "someone else" may not share the same faith and beliefs that we do.
As I immersed myself in all the festivities of today, there was a moment when my mind drifted. I began to contemplate how many hours per week I spend helping my kids with homework, taking them to various practices every day of the week, driving them back and forth to school, fixing dinners, and watching TV. In actuality, I spend a great deal of time with them each day doing various activities. But when I compared that to the amount of time I spend investing in their spiritual growth, and their relationship with Christ, my investment of time seemed to pale in comparison.
Even though we do go to church three times per week, make sure our kids are involved in church activities, and share many talks about right from wrong, all of which play a crucial role in molding their minds for Christ, it is up to my husband and I to really help them get to know God, by seeing how we know Him, and by witnessing what He means in our every day lives.
As moms, we have to say yes to Gods call and try to hold up our end of this motherhood deal to the best of our ability. The truth is, our children will not be interested in really getting to know our Jesus, until they see the difference that Jesus makes in our lives.
I realized today, that mothers day is really not about me at all. It is not even about moms as a whole, instead, it is about the high calling of motherhood.
Mothers day is really about celebrating the honor of answering the call to serve God by teaching our families to love and honor Him.
It is about what we can give that matters now and eternally, not simply what gifts we may receive one special day per year.
Being a mom is not a job, although sometimes it may seem like one. Instead, it is a calling. A calling that changes and increases with every year that passes. A calling that God respects, admires and blesses. A calling that surpasses all others in importance. A calling that is building the next generation, from the crib to the college.
I hope you will join me in continuing to celebrate mothers day, every day, by focusing on being with our children, and building that spiritual legacy. Its not an easy calling, and sometimes may even seem like a thankfless calling, but it is a calling nonetheless, and God blesses those who answer His call.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Proverbs 21:3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
If you have any great family time devotional ideas, family bible studies, or other resources or personal success stories for raising children who love the Lord, I would love to hear your feedback!
Shortly after, I was lavished with hugs, sweet presents and cards from them and from my husband. (He is, and always has been, the ultimate gift giver-thanks honey!). Then we had a great morning at church, a wonderful lunch with my mom and in-laws, and ended the day with a fun evening with my mom and the rest of my family at her house. It was truly a day full of family and love.
Yesterday morning, I told each of my daughters individually how blessed I was to have them as a daughter. I also took a moment to tell my son how blessed I was to have him as my son. They really are such sweet, precious kids (but of course, Im not biased at all - hee hee.)
But in all seriousness, I am so proud of them, and so proud to be their mom. I look into their faces and see some of myself, some of my husband, and some of the special and unique qualities that make them who they are. I think about all the times when they were just little tiny things, snuggling in my lap and worshipping my every move. I think about all the times now that even though they are too big for my lap, that we can still snuggle and share sweet moments (I dont know about the worshipping of my every move anymore though; but hey, we cant have everything we want. Smiles.)
They truly are the biggest blessings in my life. What I did to deserve them, I honestly do not know. Thank you Jesus.
My prayer yesterday was that I would remember what an honor it is to be a mom, every day, not just on mothers day. That I remember to tell my children constantly how thrilled I am to have them as my children and how proud I am of them, and not just on a random day picked out by retailers to sell more greeting cards.
That I would remember to look into their sweet faces each day, and focus on what a blessing they are - even when mouths are back talking, eyes are rolling, siblings are fighting, and shoes and clutter are scattered all over the place as if a full blown tornado had ripped through our house.
I am the first to admit, that it is so easy to get caught up in doing life for our kids, that we forget to do life with our kids; to get caught up in doing things for them, that we forget to make time do things with them; to get caught up in working to provide for our kids material needs and neglect to spend time with them nurturing their spiritual and emotional needs.
Mothers day is a wonderful day, and I imagine that most moms look forward to it every year. It is a day dedicated to focusing on family, being grateful for having moms and being moms and remembering moms.
But I really believe that God did not intend for mothers day to only be once per year, but instead, to be 365 days per year. To wake up every morning, and focus on being the mom that God called us to be.
Even though children can be trying at times, regardless of whether they are toddlers, teenagers or grown adults, nothing holds a candle to the treasures that they are, and there is simply no higher calling than that of being a mom.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is a stark reminder that there is a lot more to this motherhood thing than diaper changing, bottle fixing, laundry washing, snotty nose cleaning, manners lessons, time out corners, ceasing back-talk, messy bedrooms, boyfriends, shopping, and driving instructions.
Motherhood is not merely about what we do or how much we do, but the way in which we do it.
Parents are called to nurture our children, care for all of their needs, and prepare them to become independent and functioning adults. But even more important, we are called to impart to them a spiritual legacy.
Sometimes it seems easier to invest enormous amounts of time nurturing our children, than it does to teach them to love and respect the Lord and His Word. But as parents, we are our childrens primary role model for faith, and if we do not take seriously the calling of building up the spiritual lives of our children, then we take the risk of giving someone else the opportunity to mold their spiritual future, and that "someone else" may not share the same faith and beliefs that we do.
As I immersed myself in all the festivities of today, there was a moment when my mind drifted. I began to contemplate how many hours per week I spend helping my kids with homework, taking them to various practices every day of the week, driving them back and forth to school, fixing dinners, and watching TV. In actuality, I spend a great deal of time with them each day doing various activities. But when I compared that to the amount of time I spend investing in their spiritual growth, and their relationship with Christ, my investment of time seemed to pale in comparison.
Even though we do go to church three times per week, make sure our kids are involved in church activities, and share many talks about right from wrong, all of which play a crucial role in molding their minds for Christ, it is up to my husband and I to really help them get to know God, by seeing how we know Him, and by witnessing what He means in our every day lives.
As moms, we have to say yes to Gods call and try to hold up our end of this motherhood deal to the best of our ability. The truth is, our children will not be interested in really getting to know our Jesus, until they see the difference that Jesus makes in our lives.
I realized today, that mothers day is really not about me at all. It is not even about moms as a whole, instead, it is about the high calling of motherhood.
Mothers day is really about celebrating the honor of answering the call to serve God by teaching our families to love and honor Him.
It is about what we can give that matters now and eternally, not simply what gifts we may receive one special day per year.
Being a mom is not a job, although sometimes it may seem like one. Instead, it is a calling. A calling that changes and increases with every year that passes. A calling that God respects, admires and blesses. A calling that surpasses all others in importance. A calling that is building the next generation, from the crib to the college.
I hope you will join me in continuing to celebrate mothers day, every day, by focusing on being with our children, and building that spiritual legacy. Its not an easy calling, and sometimes may even seem like a thankfless calling, but it is a calling nonetheless, and God blesses those who answer His call.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Proverbs 21:3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
If you have any great family time devotional ideas, family bible studies, or other resources or personal success stories for raising children who love the Lord, I would love to hear your feedback!
2 comments:
Thank you for your post! I was just thinking as I read it that I spent too much time focusing on Mother's Day as it related to me. Your post was yet another reminder that Mother's day is not just about celebrating my being a Mom or about my precious "alone time"-it is about celebrating the gifts that really matter-our families, our children! God bless!
Agree!
I'm thankful EVERYDAY to be the mom to my kids! I look at them and can't help but feel overwhelmed with pride! How did God pick me? I'll always try my best to honor Him with my mom status!
Loved your thoughts!
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