This motherhood thing, y'all...whew. It's exhausting.
I imagine that many of you are sick of me posting about Olivia and parenting, but that's the world I'm living in right now, so that's where my head is - morning, noon and night. I adore her and am incredibly grateful for this season (more on that below), but gah! This is the third morning this week she has woken up for the day before 5am, if that helps to paint the picture of my current reality.
It takes a lot of energy to keep another person alive, much less foster her development and prepare her to be a thriving person. Mothering requires being awake physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. As soon as you have one phase, schedule or milestone figured out, your child is on to the next. That means that you have research, planning and training to do! Sure, a (young) child naps some, but moms typically need that time to accomplish things they cannot do with a child present. Oh, and there's the other components of adult life outside of motherhood that require energy! And working moms? I have incredible respect for those who are able to manage home life and a full time career successfully, along with moms of more than one child. I know I'm not ready to try for #2 right now simply because that sounds so daunting. I realize that I have it relatively easy, and yet I still find it overwhelming at times.
The point of all of this is not for me to complain, garner pity, or solicit babysitters. :-) My point is that God has a purpose in requiring that mothers always be at the top of their game, paying attention and on their "best behavior" since little sets of eyes are observing (and mimicking!) their every move. The purpose is sanctify the moms ("to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate").
Here are just a few of the ways God is using motherhood to sanctify me... there are so many:
The obvious answer is that being responsible for Olivia makes me want to be a good role model. I caught her licking her fingers after a meal recently and was ashamed of John and I, ha! It also instills in me such a burden to intercede on her behalf. I want the very, very best for her, which makes me want to talk to God often about my dreams and desires for her. Of course, my heart is filled with gratitude, too, which spills out into the way I feel about life and other people and just the world in general. She has made me more open, loving, and trusting. Also, since my time in the delivery room, I've had a new understanding of what it means to truly depend on God for strength. I now understand that I need Him in ways I did not fully comprehend until I became responsible for another life. I've also had to surrender so many fears and worries about her wellbeing and my "performance" as a mom. Lastly, John and I have to ask Him for wisdom about the decisions required in parenting. There are so. many. decisions and so much conflicting advice "out there." We have to ask for the Holy Spirit's help to discern what's best for our little family.
It helps me on mornings like this one when I'm incredibly tired - and therefore hyper-aware of how quickly motherhood has aged my body - to remember that mothering is the very vessel through which God is molding me to be like Him. He's making me uncomfortable (tired, full of questions, needing Him) to draw me to Himself. That alone is worth it - yes, even the 4am wake-up calls. :-) The icing on the cake is the fact that God made such a delightful little person and then gave me a front row seat to enjoy her.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
I imagine that many of you are sick of me posting about Olivia and parenting, but that's the world I'm living in right now, so that's where my head is - morning, noon and night. I adore her and am incredibly grateful for this season (more on that below), but gah! This is the third morning this week she has woken up for the day before 5am, if that helps to paint the picture of my current reality.
It takes a lot of energy to keep another person alive, much less foster her development and prepare her to be a thriving person. Mothering requires being awake physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. As soon as you have one phase, schedule or milestone figured out, your child is on to the next. That means that you have research, planning and training to do! Sure, a (young) child naps some, but moms typically need that time to accomplish things they cannot do with a child present. Oh, and there's the other components of adult life outside of motherhood that require energy! And working moms? I have incredible respect for those who are able to manage home life and a full time career successfully, along with moms of more than one child. I know I'm not ready to try for #2 right now simply because that sounds so daunting. I realize that I have it relatively easy, and yet I still find it overwhelming at times.
The point of all of this is not for me to complain, garner pity, or solicit babysitters. :-) My point is that God has a purpose in requiring that mothers always be at the top of their game, paying attention and on their "best behavior" since little sets of eyes are observing (and mimicking!) their every move. The purpose is sanctify the moms ("to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate").
Here are just a few of the ways God is using motherhood to sanctify me... there are so many:
The obvious answer is that being responsible for Olivia makes me want to be a good role model. I caught her licking her fingers after a meal recently and was ashamed of John and I, ha! It also instills in me such a burden to intercede on her behalf. I want the very, very best for her, which makes me want to talk to God often about my dreams and desires for her. Of course, my heart is filled with gratitude, too, which spills out into the way I feel about life and other people and just the world in general. She has made me more open, loving, and trusting. Also, since my time in the delivery room, I've had a new understanding of what it means to truly depend on God for strength. I now understand that I need Him in ways I did not fully comprehend until I became responsible for another life. I've also had to surrender so many fears and worries about her wellbeing and my "performance" as a mom. Lastly, John and I have to ask Him for wisdom about the decisions required in parenting. There are so. many. decisions and so much conflicting advice "out there." We have to ask for the Holy Spirit's help to discern what's best for our little family.
It helps me on mornings like this one when I'm incredibly tired - and therefore hyper-aware of how quickly motherhood has aged my body - to remember that mothering is the very vessel through which God is molding me to be like Him. He's making me uncomfortable (tired, full of questions, needing Him) to draw me to Himself. That alone is worth it - yes, even the 4am wake-up calls. :-) The icing on the cake is the fact that God made such a delightful little person and then gave me a front row seat to enjoy her.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
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