As moms we have the opportunity to boost our children onward and upward. Whether they are 4 or 24 or 34 or beyond. I know as a young mother I need experienced mothers to speak into my life and give me that boost of affirmative support so I can achieve my God-given potential. And the same is true for my own 2 beautiful daughters, they need loving affirmative support so they can reach their God-given potential and design.
Too often however in our own struggles and priorities our good intentions seem to fly out the window. The day starts with fresh outlook and high expectations, but as life happens our good intentions melt into a puddle of just that, intentions ... and mainly speaking as a mother of young children, correcting and scolding and diverting our little ones from potential disasters becomes the priority and add to that the daily distractions of daily chores such as the laundry, the dishes and any work that we must do and by the end of the day as you tuck the last little one into bed perhaps for the 2nd or 3rd time for the night warning them not to get out of bed again until the sun comes up you fall into bed in utter exhaustion feeling often glad that another day is done. You breathe out of prayer thanking God that you made it through, but perhaps you feel like you didn't accomplish all you set out to do especially regarding your children and you hope that tomorrow will somehow be different.
When Eve was brought unto Adam
he became filled with the Holy Spirit
and gave her the most sanctified
the most glorious of appelations.
He called her Chava, that is to say,
the Mother of All. He did not style her wife,
but simply mother ~
mother of all living creatures.
In this consists the glory and the most
precious ornament of woman.
~ Martin Luther
Motherhood has the power to transform us from inexperienced young women into wise, accomplished women who command respect. At the end of Proverbs 31 it says "Her children arise and call her blessed." Motherhood has a way of teaching us to be selfless, thoughtful and giving. Children stretch us and keep us humble or as a friend of mine puts it "on our knees in prayer".
Deuteronomy 6:4-7, known as the Shema in the Hebrew language, and where the "Greatest Commandment" comes from, says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments 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."
We have the power as parents to teach our children to love God and obey His WORD, dor la dor, from generation to generation.
Oftentimes, or should I say most often, our children's needs require us to put our needs and desires on the back burner. Too often however I find myself hushing my children so I can have some quiet time or telling them to "be patient" while I finish this or that, pushing their needs further and further back. I am not saying our children don't need to learn respect or that there is not a time to be quiet or patient, obviously we want them to learn that, but not at the expense of losing priority ~ them!
I've been hearing alot of messages lately from different sources reminding me of the life Jesus led as a servant and as such I am convicted to live a more selfless life to better the lives of those around me with HIS help ... I could never do that out of my own strength.
We can be confident in the work we do as mothers. Our priority can be to make a difference in the lives those God has placed in our care. My job as a mother is absolutely essential not because of who I am, but because of WHOSE I am. My job has more than monetary value; it has eternal worth.
The wise woman builds her house.
Some of the above excerpts were from the book ~
The Power of a Positive Mom: Revised Edition by Karol Ladd.
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