Family-the ultimate test
Being a mom to little one’s is exhausting at times. Valerie Woener runs Val Marie Paper and she recently posted a picture of a set up at Target for mother’s day that was filled with self help books, wine,bath bombs, and chocolate. She commented on the way the world views motherhood as something you trudge along through and then self-medicate with a good bath bomb and a glass of wine. This couldn’t be more true and it’s actually quite sad.
Everyday from 4-7pm is our “family time”, and I have been challenged on making the most of that time. Every now and then I find myself longing for the time where my kids will be asleep and I’ll be able to watch my favorite show or have a nice, long bath. When I start to do that, I find myself more anxious and less forgiving; and my children and my husband get the brunt of it.
I recently listened to a podcast on Risen Motherhood that talked about going on vacation with the family and they said that we should have a “servant heart” even on vacation. They said we should “be on the lookout for ways we can serve our husbands and our children”. How contradictory is that to what instagram tells us??
The truth is when we focus on what WE want and what WE deserve, we miss out on what God wants to do through us. We miss out on teachable moments with our children. We miss out on having an encouraging word for our husbands. And we miss out on joy that the Lord wants for us.
The Message version of the Bible puts it like this in Romans 8: 7-8
“7 Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. 8 And God isn't pleased at being ignored.”
We are called to be “others” focused and our family is some of the most important “others” we are to show God’s love to.
Resources:
Val Marie Paper
Risen Motherhood Podcast