Monday, June 18, 2007

Where do you turn?

So as a full-time mother where do you turn for support? I just received a MOPS e-mail and it was a lady talking about going back to work after staying home for 4 years. She was talking about how to fill her resume with her new found skill set from being a full time mom. Granted she was only going back part time and I don't know the entire set of circumstances and yes it was a funny and cute e-mail about multitasking (like nursing a baby, talking on the phone and making a sandwich). But I have to say after reading it, it left an "ugh" feeling in my stomach. You know the feeling, like something just didn't sit right in your soul. Then I was thinking about these BOZ movies we have for Isaac, they're christian movies and they always have a moral to the story and they sing songs about Jesus and pray but it also talks about the mom being a dentist and having to help her patients. It's like they just had to throw that in there, it didn't necessarily fit in with the story but we've gotta keep everyone happy and make them feel warm and fuzzy inside! Again "ugh" I mean seriously what's wrong with us and where do you go if you are a full time mom and looking for support? I'm talking about the kind of support that encourages you to find joy in keeping your house clean (still working really hard on that one) and to find joy in blessing your children and your husband and that realizing there is so much to do for your family and those around you to keep one busy as a full time mom for a lifetime. Just planning a homemade meal or meals for the week would keep me pretty busy and making sure that my children are getting their proper nutrition. I mean really, sometimes we need to just get back to the basics of life and stop making everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside. If we as Christians fall into the mainstream of America where do new Christians have to turn to learn what it means to follow Christ? Do you see where I'm headed, to me it seems like a slippery slope...First this seems o.k., then that seems o.k., and the next thing you know you're so far away from God's word and living outside of his blessings that you're left wondering how in the world did we get here? I'll tell you how we got there, by turning our eyes off of HIM! So where do we turn as full time mothers for support and encouragement, there is only one place. That's His precious word! As soon as we start looking any place else for what it means to be a wife and a mother we're in trouble. I shiver to think of what God could do in my life if only I were more obedient to Him. If I could just let go of my own selfish ways. Imagine what it would look like if we as Christians stopped looking to one another but instead looked only to Christ and then came along side each other encouraging and uplifting...

1 comment:

Laura Lu said...

Ok, so I will make a huge revealing statement about myself right now...I am so glad that I did not finish my college education only to have a huge amount of debt to have to pay off when there is nothing that I would rather be doing than staying home with my kids! I am not the only mom out there that feels this way, I have been a mom for 11 years now, and this is a common feeling among moms. You see, if I did have that college degree and that debt it would be a constant nag on me that "I should be doing something with myself". I have seen it in many, many moms. They hate going to work, but they have to pay off their debt and put their degree to use. But since I don't, I can take pride in "just being a mom"! I have nothing to distract me from the job that God has called me to do. I love this job with all of my heart! I thank God that He has blessed us with children, and entrusted these precious souls into my care! How could anyone love them the way I do!?!? No matter how great a day care...it just isn't mom! So that was really revealing of me...but I just wanted to agree with you that being a mom is the greatest job in the world, no matter how much the world tries to tell us otherwise! :) I love being able to share all of our "mommy moments" with each other. I love that Joe got you back "in" so that we can be there to offer each other support when we need it. I love that you are such an encouragement to me!
Oh, btw, I am not some extremist...I'm just a mom with a huge passion for mothering!