It is the hardest thing one can do, but from the moment you give your body up for the rearing of your children, with the unpredictable changes that come with pregnancy, you are learning the great law of sacrifice.
When the child is born, and nights are broken into 6 plus segments, and your sleep comes last on the list of priorities, you are already understanding the unselfish art of genuine service.
As tantrums rise, and language develops, though you bite your tongue, replacing words of frustration with one long deep breath, you are beginning to master the true concept of self control.
Then, as the years pass, and children turn into teens, ready to take the world into their own hands, you will surely pull out that patience which has been brewing in a stream pot for over a decade now.
Yet, in all, it's the unconditional love which gives life to each of the above attributes that carry us through motherhood with it's endless beautiful road.
I am a mother to many children...from one in heaven whom I honorably endure an untold amount of time for, to the preschool and preteens in my home. I am raising a generation up to God.
As I school them, I find myself honored to introduce their work load....and assure that it's done with Providence. Being a writer myself, I tend to lean towards the literature and history aspect of school, but it serves them well, as they have grown accustomed to my long group reading sessions and detailed writing assignments; it is a great time to test their comprehension and interpretation skills without a single sheet of paper! I might add that my highest scores on the ACT were in math and science, so we really are pretty well rounded once the week is said and done!
Connor completed a word study this week for "governor". I thought it a perfect time of year for this word, hoping he would reference the scripture in Matthew, speaking of our Lord as our ultimate Governor. Though he didn't reference that, I was pleased to find that the Webster's 1828 definition of governor does indeed make reference to our supreme creator! His assignment is below.
I can't adequately explain how motherhood had given me opportunities to understand the character of God, but I know that by the opportunities that are presented to me often, I am learning through the submission of becoming a God fearing mother, how natural it is to love our children through every phase in life. It seems that when my response to every scenario is with love, every scenario plays out to a blessing which out weighs the investment ten fold. I am not perfect, so I indeed falter and have to humbly seek correction from God and quickly ask forgiveness from my babes; I surely know that I am in no way above them.
Every day presents new challenges, but I pray I am worthy of instruction by the spirit to find joy in the phases of human development that the world tells us to fear; I'm finding I actually appreciate each stage far more than the last! This past week, I looked at popular instruction theory and news columns in rasing children and I thought, "how absurdly strange...".
"Take out the joy and you'll have brighter, more competitive children.....Let them know who's the boss, and they'll stop misbehaving..... Don't worry, this too shall pass.". Though I can wisely see the balance in some disciplining techniques, I have found that the approach of love, without inducing guilt or anger (neither kindling it in yourself), is the tried and true method to properly raise children and enjoy the process. This doesn't come without heartache; parenting is a front row seat to God's view of you yourself, even that makes me cringe. However great the pain, there is a happiness that only accompanies a soul which stands in confidence before the Lord.
Peculiar things happen when you walk the road less traveled! Let's keep walking....
