O Weary Mother...

I was prompted with these thoughts a few months ago as I was speaking with a sweet friend who was 'weary in her well doing'. As we shared stories and similar experiences I drove away that night praying for her and myself. I've only held the position of Mother for 4 years this month, but I learned very quickly that being 'Mother' is full of many requirements.

My prayer is that this post will encourage & inspire the readers to find their fullest potential as mothers through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my source of joy & strength. He is the reason for my title as, Mother, & I thank Him for it!

If we can begin with a verse found in Galations 6:9,

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

This verse has greatly helped me when I find myself at times 'weary' as a stay at home mom. The thing about this verse that I love is that God would not have put it in the Bible if He knew we wouldn't have the problem of feeling 'weary in our well doing'. Sometimes I think I might be crazy for the feelings of discouragement that I've felt, or the thoughts I think at times, but I'm so thankful that God knew I'd feel this way, and so He encouraged me when He inspired Paul to write, "And let us not be weary in well doing:"

It is well doing when I wake each morning to running little feet full of enthusiasm as they start their day full of joy and prepare their breakfast, get them dressed & find their missing train pieces. It's well doing when I correct their misbehavior & instruct them how to behave wisely. It's well doing as I'm picking up their little shoes & dirty socks that I find in the most amazing places! It's well doing to wash their clothes, change their sheets, prepare their meals & clean their home. It's well doing to rock them in the middle of the night and calm their fears. It is well doing to teach them manners, school them, and make their daddy their hero!

For every long lasting never ending job there is for a stay at home mom, it is well doing that will reap great long lasting eternal rewards if I don't let myself become weary and faint. Lord help me!

I hear of so many mommies who stay home with their little ones, but they dread every minute of it. Lord help them to see their well doing & not faint!

Many mommies stay home, but they waste every training opportunity b/c they are simply busy doing other things, while the TV is training the children & then they wonder why their children don't act right or obey. Lord help them to see the well doing of motherhood & not faint!

And the majority of mommies today have altogether given the job of motherhood to their daycare ladies or nannies. As they venture out to their careers & their salaries, because they simply don't see the 'well doing' of being a stay at home mom.

Lord help me as I write, and may this please speak to the hearts of working moms or the hearts of moms who long to be working...

I just recently read the book "Training Kings and Queens" by Mrs.Cindy Schaap. You can order a copy here. Can I say that this book is SO wonderful & it blessed me greatly!

This book really put it all into perspective for me. For those of you who are married, your honey should be your #1 priority in your life. I believe my purpose, my most highest calling is to meet the needs of Daniel, and see him reach his fullest potential for the Lord. I get the most fulfillment in my life this way. Do you know that this is God's plan? That is what God wanted when he said of Adam in Genesis 2:18 ,"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

I am Daniel's help meet. That is what God created me to be. God knew there would be only one thing that would satisfy me fully as Daniel's wife. He knew that one thing would be for me to satisfy the needs of Daniel, of whom He provided for me! I would be frustrated if I tried to find my fulfillment in any other way!

I've seen so many friends try to find their fulfillment through their careers or their children & yet they are still unhappy & have unhappy marriages.

The biggest example of this, I experienced first hand in my own life. When I was young my mom had a very high paying job that caused her to be gone from home for a week or so at a time, and she would tell you herself that this high paying job was not worth the high price she paid of missing time with us, and not being there to meet the needs of my father. We rarely had meals together as a family, and I remember through my grade school years that my dad cooked, cleaned, laid my clothes out for me, and ran the bath water. I don't mean to dishonor my mother in any way, at this time she wasn't even a Christian, but even then she would have told you that the stress of her demanding schedule & the time away from us wasn't worth the nice house, company car, and large bonuses...and I would have rather have had my mother there when I came home from school instead of an empty house.

If you could know my heart as I type my burden out today. Don't let the world or the Devil belittle the title of the "Stay at home mother"...what a beautiful job it is!

If I could share with you an excerpt from the book I mentioned above that had me in tears as I read it the other night. It so richly blessed me.
(Training Kings and Queens by Cindy Schaap pg.217 & 218)
Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Rubies are one of the most valuable of gemstones They are precious stones-not one of those semi-precious ones. Proverbs 31 teaches us that the virtuous woman is not just more valuable than rubies; the Bible says she is far more valuable than rubies.
Proverbs 31 goes on to describe the very valuable woman. She is described in a way that depicts that average housewife. Her value is described in terms having to do with working with her hands around the house; food preparation;gardening; sewing; giving to the needy; wardrobe planning for her and her children; selling her wares to help the family financially; and last but not least, consistent kindness and love toward her family.
Somewhere today a godly mother will kiss her husband goodbye and send him off with words of encouragement. She will go about the duties of housewife and mother. She will change dirty diapers and rock her baby and sing lullabies. She will clean dusty corners, scrub floors, and clean toilets. She will do the things that need to be done around the house in order to free her husband to do more important things.
She will spend a good bit of her day playing dolls or trucks and winning the hearts of her children. She will perhaps play the part of the fool while telling Bible stories and singing songs to keep her children's attention. As she sacrifices her time and wonders what she'll do with her college degree she is aware that she is preparing her children to leave the nest and live their own lives serving God, not pleasing her-and she may sometimes ask, "Is it worth is? Do the things I do have any value?"
No one will call her to the platform and applaud her work today. She will not receive an Emmy or a Golden Globe award. Her stage is her home; her pay is her grocery allowance; and her audience may be one toddler-age child. But when God decided to describe the woman of value-He described her.
When I plant my eyes upon the verses of Proverbs 31, I am reminded that God's value system is very different from the world's. In His eyes, the value of a mother is priceless.

Amen, Miss Cindy! Isn't that beautiful?!? In God's eyes my 'well doing' as a wife to Daniel, and a mommy to Carter, Evan and Parker is of great value, more valuable than rubies!!

In conclusion, I'm speaking to my own heart also on this matter of weariness in well doing. Remember that the verse also says, "..we shall reap if we faint not" You and I can see this reaping each day if our heart is right with God to see it! (I know that on the days when I feel most discouraged is a day when I need to spend more time in prayer & my Bible...and God gives me strength every time.)

My reaping consist of sweet things such as hearing Carter say "Sorry Evan, you ok?" when he accidentally hurts him, and wasn't prompted by me to be kind & concerned for his brother. My reaping is hearing them use their manners when not prompted. Reaping I saw even today was Carter coming downstairs with a sticker on his shirt and happily saying, "Mom! See my sticker? Do you know who gave it to me?...Jesus!"

...and no joke just now as the other boys are sleeping and I'm finishing up this post Carter came to me with a little plate and a cold hot dog from the fridge;) on a bun with mustard, relish, and LOADED with what looks like paprika!!!...he said, "Mom, I made this for you."

What precious reaping I've had even today! May God bless you, priceless mothers, as you faint not in your well doing!