I'm not trying to slam anyone or be critical of anything, but there is an ad on the radio for a Christian camp for kids and this is the promo line.. "A transformation for the kids and a vacation for the parents." What? How does that even work? I'm sorry, but it doesn't. That's like saying "All the food you want to eat when you want to eat it... and the perfect body in 10 weeks!" It just doesn't work like that. I saw another brochure tonight that was talking about the couple of hours your children spend in church a week and how that can be life-changing.... See, here's the thing. God has given the job of training children to PARENTS. No one else has been ordained for that task. Yes, it's a huge task. And yes, it is a challenge. But we can't delegate it to some fancy camp or educated teacher or private school or beautiful church with a trendy mission statement. We, as imperfect, struggling, inadequate parents are the ones that are called to transfer to the children. Deuteronomy 6 tells us that we are to do it in our every day activities - not just the elaborate "memory-making" planned events. When we rise and when we sit and when we walk and when we go about our day-to-day activities. That's when the real stuff takes place. Kids are not transformed while the parents are sitting around with their feet up neglecting their responsibilities. Kids are transformed when parents accept and embrace their calling as mentors and leaders and teachers to God's most valuable gift: our children. Kids are tranformed when the priests of the home assume their rightful position of authority and stand against the powers of darkness and earnestly pray and stand in the gap on behalf of their legacy. Kids are transformed when moms pray for and love and value their children.
Vacation for parents... sounds tempting.. but I think I'll just stay on duty.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Embracing Motherhood
This is a topic that has been on my heart for quite some time and I think with the approaching Mother's Day that it is a great time to write it. I love the verse Luke 2:19 referring to Mary after the birth of Jesus: "But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart."
As mothers, we love to share our birth stories: pregnancy, labor, delivery, first few days of birth. It is a "magical" moment (for lack of a better word.) It is a moment of awe and wonder. Bringing a life into the world is a phenomenal and remarkable experience. There is a reverent awe about it that is unparalleled in our every day existence. I have done it ten times and it is absolutely amazing every time. I am awestruck at the absolute miracle of it all... discovering I am carrying a child before there is any outward, visible showing; feeling the movement of the baby for the first time, hearing the swishing heartbeat, seeing the moving limbs on the sonogram, watching elbows and knees move across my extended belly, and the entire birthing process, the great force of my muscles preparing my body for the miraculous birth, the incredible feeling of seeing the baby the first time and the beauty and freshness of him/ her.
Yes, I treasure these things and I ponder them in my heart. I go beyond that. I share the stories with others. I share them with my children. They love to hear their birth stories. I reflect on them... and not just the stories of their births, but stories of the baby years, and toddler years, and elementary years. I treasure all of it.
When I was a young girl, I played with dolls. I imagined myself to be a mother. It was my greatest aspiration. Oh, I thought of other professions and entertained the idea of being a veterinerian, a physical therapist, a school teacher, a family and marriage counselor, a performer, a nurse..... but I never abandoned my aspirations of being a mom. And then, over 21 years ago, that dream became a reality. I graduated from college with a degree in English and certification in secondary education on December 15, 1989. December 26 (11 days later), I became a mom. I admit that I did not have the revelation of being a mom then that I have now. It was incredible and I didn't sleep for two days after the birth of my first from the sheer adrenaline. But I didn't embrace Motherhood. I accepted it, but I didn't EMBRACE it and treasure it. I thought that it wouldn't be enough. I was still thinking of teaching school and going back to college to pursue higher education. I didn't realize that motherhood could define me... I didn't know that was acceptable. About three years later, I gave birth to my second born, my first son. It was a beautiful experience, but I shuffled him into my busy life full of ministry and "bigger" pursuits. Two and a half years later I gave birth to my third child. She was also shuffled into my busyness. Two years and three months later I gave birth to #4. We were at a different season. We weren't "on staff" at a church and I had more discretionary time. I enjoyed her and the others daily. I played with them and taught them and read to them and loved it. Two and a half years later I gave birth to #5. I was moving into a season of embracing. I was beginning to realize(finally... I'm a slow learner) that being a mom wasn't secondary. It wasn't a peripheral, it was the focus. It was primary; and it was to be embraced. Fifteen months later I gave birth to #6 at a conference in Illinois. That is an entertaining birth story (we'll save it for another blog), but his first year of life was part of our busyness... but he made it magical. We flew home when he was six days old and were reunited with my other children. Those first few days and weeks of being a mom with six children was a time of changing and maturing and moving into my element. I wholeheartedly embraced my role. I reveled in it. I no longer feel like being a mom isn't enough. I have moments of feeling inadequate or ineffective, but I LOVE being a mom. Colossians 3:23 says whatever you do, do it with all your heart. I am a whole hearted mom. My children are not shuffled into my busy world... my busy world is shuffles around them. I am reminded of the jar full of sand that you try to put the rocks in. The rocks won't fit - until you pour the sand out of the jar and then place the big rocks in FIRST. Then you pour the sand over the rocks and it all fits in the jar.
My children are my priority. They are my primary consideration when I make decisions.. big ones and trivial, everyday ones. I consider their physical health and well-being, their educational needs, their emotional needs, their spiritual maturity and discipleship. I cook for them, clean up after them, read to them, teach them, train them, invest in them, love them, discipline them, and encourage them. I pray for them and love them and treasure them. I EMBRACE being a mom whole-heartedly. I am privileged to have TEN wonderful gifts from God and I do not take my role lightly or flippantly. I want my children to know that being their mom was something I treasured... not something I endured. It's all in my attitude and perspective.
As I said, this has been a journey for me and I try to communicate and help other moms to embrace their roles and treasure "all these things." Our children will be richer because of it.
I'm not trying to "toot my own horn" or expound on what a great mother I am. I am just trying to let you know that motherhood is worth embracing. It is enough. Culture and worldly expectations will make you feel like it's a sideline, but now worthy of being your focus. I want to encourage you to embrace motherhood and revel in it and invest your whole heart in it. It is worth it!
Until next time...
Fondee
As mothers, we love to share our birth stories: pregnancy, labor, delivery, first few days of birth. It is a "magical" moment (for lack of a better word.) It is a moment of awe and wonder. Bringing a life into the world is a phenomenal and remarkable experience. There is a reverent awe about it that is unparalleled in our every day existence. I have done it ten times and it is absolutely amazing every time. I am awestruck at the absolute miracle of it all... discovering I am carrying a child before there is any outward, visible showing; feeling the movement of the baby for the first time, hearing the swishing heartbeat, seeing the moving limbs on the sonogram, watching elbows and knees move across my extended belly, and the entire birthing process, the great force of my muscles preparing my body for the miraculous birth, the incredible feeling of seeing the baby the first time and the beauty and freshness of him/ her.
Yes, I treasure these things and I ponder them in my heart. I go beyond that. I share the stories with others. I share them with my children. They love to hear their birth stories. I reflect on them... and not just the stories of their births, but stories of the baby years, and toddler years, and elementary years. I treasure all of it.
When I was a young girl, I played with dolls. I imagined myself to be a mother. It was my greatest aspiration. Oh, I thought of other professions and entertained the idea of being a veterinerian, a physical therapist, a school teacher, a family and marriage counselor, a performer, a nurse..... but I never abandoned my aspirations of being a mom. And then, over 21 years ago, that dream became a reality. I graduated from college with a degree in English and certification in secondary education on December 15, 1989. December 26 (11 days later), I became a mom. I admit that I did not have the revelation of being a mom then that I have now. It was incredible and I didn't sleep for two days after the birth of my first from the sheer adrenaline. But I didn't embrace Motherhood. I accepted it, but I didn't EMBRACE it and treasure it. I thought that it wouldn't be enough. I was still thinking of teaching school and going back to college to pursue higher education. I didn't realize that motherhood could define me... I didn't know that was acceptable. About three years later, I gave birth to my second born, my first son. It was a beautiful experience, but I shuffled him into my busy life full of ministry and "bigger" pursuits. Two and a half years later I gave birth to my third child. She was also shuffled into my busyness. Two years and three months later I gave birth to #4. We were at a different season. We weren't "on staff" at a church and I had more discretionary time. I enjoyed her and the others daily. I played with them and taught them and read to them and loved it. Two and a half years later I gave birth to #5. I was moving into a season of embracing. I was beginning to realize(finally... I'm a slow learner) that being a mom wasn't secondary. It wasn't a peripheral, it was the focus. It was primary; and it was to be embraced. Fifteen months later I gave birth to #6 at a conference in Illinois. That is an entertaining birth story (we'll save it for another blog), but his first year of life was part of our busyness... but he made it magical. We flew home when he was six days old and were reunited with my other children. Those first few days and weeks of being a mom with six children was a time of changing and maturing and moving into my element. I wholeheartedly embraced my role. I reveled in it. I no longer feel like being a mom isn't enough. I have moments of feeling inadequate or ineffective, but I LOVE being a mom. Colossians 3:23 says whatever you do, do it with all your heart. I am a whole hearted mom. My children are not shuffled into my busy world... my busy world is shuffles around them. I am reminded of the jar full of sand that you try to put the rocks in. The rocks won't fit - until you pour the sand out of the jar and then place the big rocks in FIRST. Then you pour the sand over the rocks and it all fits in the jar.
My children are my priority. They are my primary consideration when I make decisions.. big ones and trivial, everyday ones. I consider their physical health and well-being, their educational needs, their emotional needs, their spiritual maturity and discipleship. I cook for them, clean up after them, read to them, teach them, train them, invest in them, love them, discipline them, and encourage them. I pray for them and love them and treasure them. I EMBRACE being a mom whole-heartedly. I am privileged to have TEN wonderful gifts from God and I do not take my role lightly or flippantly. I want my children to know that being their mom was something I treasured... not something I endured. It's all in my attitude and perspective.
As I said, this has been a journey for me and I try to communicate and help other moms to embrace their roles and treasure "all these things." Our children will be richer because of it.
I'm not trying to "toot my own horn" or expound on what a great mother I am. I am just trying to let you know that motherhood is worth embracing. It is enough. Culture and worldly expectations will make you feel like it's a sideline, but now worthy of being your focus. I want to encourage you to embrace motherhood and revel in it and invest your whole heart in it. It is worth it!
Until next time...
Fondee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)