I had no
idea when
my first
child was
born, that
he was
sent from
God to
teach me.
The mother
was now
the
student.
I had no idea when my first child was born, that he was sent from God to teach
ME. The mother was now the student.
This child, who could do nothing for himself, was an instrument in God’s gentle
hands to teach me about myself and my Maker.
I learned about rest as my baby slept so soundly in my arms.
I learned about trust as I cradled him in the shade by that roaring riverside,
waiting for the body of my brother to surface after his drowning accident.
I learned about complete dependency,
as I was the only one that could comfort him when he was hurt.
I learned how holding him was comforting to me,
even in those moments when I didn’t realize I needed comfort.
I’m learning now, the vital importance of honesty, of telling my children that I
messed up, again. Amazed at how quickly they forgive, I find my breath caught
away again by these little teachers.
Thing is, it’s so easy to miss. Children are a gift. A miracle.
An opportunity to see life through pure and untainted little eyes. “Mommy, look!”
My daughter bends down over a teeny tiny purple flower I hadn’t even noticed.
I pause. Here in the stopping, in the learning to see, the embracing of a new
perspective, we get to taste life in its sweetness.
Life as it was meant to be.
It only takes one trip to the store to be reminded that motherhood is such a huge
‘chore’.
“My,” they say, “You have your hands FULL.”
I only have three little ones in my cart. I smile back, “Oh, we have lots of fun!”
They look at me oddly.
But it’s true, we are embracing today, with all its joys and trials, for today is a gift.
Oh, I know. It IS hard.
Pregnancy is not a walk in the park. And birth? Wow.
The teething baby won’t be settled, the challenging attitudes, the outright
disobedience we face. Not being able to go on dates like we used to, or even
join the prison choir that we helped start, because you can’t take a nursing baby
in behind bars- these are sacrifices. Salty ones.
I’ve tasted the tears.
But it’s about this calling.
The invitation to experience God’s kingdom on earth.
To choose to dive into the beauty of today.
To be intentional about taking time to look deep into these little eyes, these
windows of heaven. To see. To listen to their hearts, and build towers of colorful
blocks and relationships that will last through adolescence and hard questions.
And it’s about joy. It doesn’t just happen.
As mothers, we mold and shape the way our children will think.
About themselves, and the world around them.
We can create a negative atmosphere, nagging and discontented.
Wishing for the next season, a better house, more perfect and comfortable
circumstances. We can subconsciously teach them to live for themselves, selfishly
wanting everyone to cater to their needs. It’s terribly easy. ‘Cause its what feels
good, here and now.
But you know what? Life isn’t about us.
Sounds cold, I know. But honestly, my life is just a speck in eternity.
One wave that comes crashing into the shore, in and then out, and forever gone.
-30-
This child,
who could
do nothing
for himself,
was in
instrument
to teach
me about
myself and
my Maker.
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