Dear Sisters,
I have five children. I should be an expert on motherhood. I am not. The longer I parent, the more I am driven to my knees—not just in despair, but joy. Let me illustrate—the other day my 3 year old and I had this conversation in the bathroom:
Me: “Seth, please pick up the bath mat.”
Seth: “What is that?” (Pointing to the bath mat.)
Me: “A bath mat.”
Seth: “No, what is that?”
Me: “A bath mat.”
Seth: “No, what is that?”
Me: “An elephant.” (Makes trumpeting sound.)
Seth: “Ah, ok.”
Me: “!”
Don’t worry, this lovable, wonderful tow-headed toddler is the same one who will often hit his brothers with a toy car when he doesn’t get his way. We do not have a house full of lollipop children. We have a pre-teen over whom we bang our heads against the wall—and likewise thank God for blessing us with her, especially when she watches the rest of the kids so we can run away, err, take a break from time to time.
The kids probably think of me similarly: Mom cooks for me, does my laundry, and loves me—except when she is rampaging around the house about all the things I was supposed to get done, but forgot (or did, but the aforementioned cute toddler came behind me and undid everything).
No, I am not perfect. I love my kids. I want the very best for them. I yearn to see them choose to act with godly wisdom and to be filled with Christ’s love. I have to spend time on my knees for my kids—because I am not perfect (nor are they) and in our most wonderful moments, I know God is much more responsible and deserving of glory than I. Reading Philippians the other night, I came across a passage that reflects my heart for my children.
“For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:8-11.
Paul was, after all, a type of parent to these new churches and did have a parent-like vision for his people. It occurs to me that even Paul was not able to simply inspire people to become model Christians. He too, had to pray and ask God to develop Christ’s heart in his people. The message this mother received is, “Pray more, lecture less, and trumpet more about bath mats!”
Running with you,
Rebecca