Laundry is folded, ironing is done, floors are mopped, rugs are vacuumed, homeschooling completed, exercise done, bathroom cleaned, children are bathed and in bed(with their teeth brushed), and the dishes are...well, still in the sink(only tonight's). Whew! All in a days work. And now miraculously, I am updating my blog. If you're a mom and you're reading this; I hope I'm not making you feel like an under-achiever. It's been several months since I've updated my blog(but I promise it hasn't been that long since I cleaned the bathroom:). I will probably even have time to shower tonight. Now that's an accomplishment!!
In the life of a mom everyday is a grand adventure and everyday I am learning. As a new mom, 4 years ago, I had a different idea. When I first looked at the sweet newborn face of my son Zechariah, all of my thoughts evolved around the things I would teach him. This helpless creature in my arms needed to be taught so much. But in the months following I began to understand that this little person would teach me more in a day than I could teach him in a life-time. And the lessons that our little ones teach cannot be taught in a text book. The lessons learned with children are often to unlearn. Confusing, right? Let me explain. Our primary motivation in life, as humans, is my, me, mine,myself. Then here along comes a baby. He interrupts MY sleep, he takes much of MY time, he spits up on ME, I don't spend as much time with MY husband....you get the idea. All of our selfish notions start to be shaken up a bit. We start to understand at a greater level that our lives truly do not belong to us. We have to unlearn our selfishness. We have to learn patience, unconditional love, servanthood and it becomes a life long journey.
I never dreamed at 21 I would be a mommy. No, I had grand plans for myself. First I would finish my undergraduate degree. I would be so successful that I would receive a full scholarship to NYU to do my graduate program. Upon completing my graduate program, I would begin my successful career in Art and live in a loft apartment in NYC. Yes, I had it all mapped out. A life of luxury and success is certainly what I deserved. BUT GOD ran into me...or I ran into Him. Or maybe we were both running and collided?? I'm not sure. But somehow, He took ahold of my heart and showed me HIS plans. And they were so much BIGGER than mine. They were so much more exciting than mine. And you know what?? They didn't revolve around me.
Somehow, as children we are taught that we need to be successful, get married, have two kids, own a nice car, buy a house, put a picket fence around it, get a golden retriever, and retire. Between waitressing, and working several customer service jobs I came to the realization that many of the folks who live in the house with the white picket fence and the golden retriever aren't very happy. No, they don't seem happy at all. As a matter of fact, some of them are downright sour. You see, it's very unfulfilling to live a life for ourself. To spend a month working for a check so that we can have(fill in the blank). Often times our whole lives are lived so that we can acquire stuff. We work so that we can pay a mortgage, buy a car, buy clothes, buy our kids clothes, ect. BUT GOD created us for HIMSELF. He created us to fall in love with Him, to stay in love with Him, and to be so in love with Him that we spread the love to other people...like a disease. A love disease. Of course, there is nothing wrong with owning a home, having a car or clothes(actually please make sure you have some:). But where is our heart? Is it wrapped in our own selfish desires? Or is wrapped in the Love of God?
Everyday, I see a new area of selfishness in my heart. Oftentimes revealed by situations with our children(they really are good at that). So everyday is an opportunity to let go of our own desires and to take ahold of the heart of God. Remember, the adventures He will take us on are so much grander than the plans we make for ourselves. His plans are so much more fulfilling.
BUT GOD....who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.....Ephesians 2:4
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