Mission of Motherhood

I have been slowly reading through a great book called "The Mission of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson. I highly recommend it!!

I was re-reading a chapter (Ch. 4) called "The Servant Mother - Mothering with the Heart of Jesus" this morning in my "bagel time." It really hit me right where I am at this week. I was feeling very "poured out" this week - the constant 24/7 nature of my job as mommy/homemaker/homeSCHOOLER/wife has felt more taxing this week than others. Don't get me wrong, I love all of those jobs and I see them as what God has called me to and I find joy in that...it was just a tiring week!

Here are a few TRUTHS that stood out to me from her writing (and from the Word that she referenced). Be encouraged!

--John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." Often times I feel like I have lain my life down for my kids, over and over and over, but I don't remember to do so with love! When Christ lay down his life for us, he did so driven by His love for us! Great reminder!

-- This next section was really profound for me!
"More than anything else, being a mother has helped me to understand this verse (the one above). I used to travel on airplanes, wear lovely clothes, speak in prominent places, enjoy find cuisine in the various cities in which I ministered. I used to love having long teatimes and conversations with friends and colleagues and a sufficient salary to spend on my whims and pleasures.

"Now most of the time I stay home. I spend a great deal of time doing things that will need to be done over and over again - washing clothes, cooking meals, cleaning messes, correcting attitudes, teaching and training - over and over and over again. I don't have much extra money to spend on my desires because with four children, most of my money is tied up in jeans, tennis shoes, Legos, dolls, piano lessons, doctor's appointments, and birthday presents. I have given up my personal rights to the priority of addressing my children's needs first."

--"The Lord conivcted me that the futre was not where real life began. Each day was God's perfect will for me. There would be no wasted years of "just taking care of the needs of my young children." On the contrary, these years would be among the most important of my life....In the end, what could be a better use of my time?"

--"I understood that the dependent stage of early childhood was only for a season. I could see how important it was to enjoy each day and treasure these moments of early life with my children, because the years did pass quickly. How I wished I could take back all the impatient words I had said, all the guild I had imposed on my older children just because they were acting their age and taking up my time."