Here is the type of blog you will get on Honing into Home blog:~
When you have younger children at home, some days primarily consist of puzzles and play doh… while others are full of prayer for that teenage prodigal. As the latter mentioned is not the topic of this blog, I share it to say that it is possible to pray about the one while still being fully present for the others. And in light of that fact, one may question how play doh and puzzle days are ones we call “spectacular”. So let me give you the answer to that now: because there is nothing better than good ole fashioned quality time together while you have it.
Time together builds relationships.
After all the running around yesterday, the children and I had a leisurely day at home today. Sure, we got some writing practice for the older ones in, and the youngest revisited her abc’s and 123’s. At one point, all of the children got emersed in learning DVD’s and books on CD. My favorite moment, though, was when I got to watch them dance to the A-Z verse songs CD! (Btw, I am ever so grateful to my thoughtful friend for gifting us with such a lively learning tool!). With undeniable joy they proceeded to put on a dance performance for me. What cheer that brought to my heart! <3 (And you should have seen how intently I sat on that couch to watch them dance all the while making sure I smiled in response to every newly animated move they made!) đ I was really quite amused at the impressive choreography they added in to match the words being sung! đ
OK, why did I go into detail about what our chill day consisted of?!… for a reason, of course. đ Would today be considered “a success” in the eyes of the mere passer by? Probably not. But for this mother who has one child who’s already gone, grown up and out of the house, it’s days like this one where my Heavenly Father lets me know He’s pleased.
Abba Daddy delights in the time we spend engaging relationally together; for isn’t that why He created us in the first place?! And the Truth of knowing that God passionately WANTS this relationship with His children so much so that He came to earth to die for us so that we could have that very thing through Christ… Well, it always leaves me astounded every time I think about it!
I mean, Father made us precisely for the purpose of having a relationship with Him because He loves us! Amazing. I don’t know about you but that knowledge alone fires me up! And when we have His Spirit within, Jesus empowers us to continue on in this great work of motherhood! Really, when I ponder the magnitude of what impact sharing His love with our children can have on them, I both praise Him for the calling yet equally tremble at the responsibility!
Christian Mommies, what does succeeding in the area of motherhood look like to you? Are we here for the near sighted focus of just raising well educated children? Or is your drive to have them excel in the areas of sports, music or the arts?
And where I am not saying either of those aspirations are bad in and of themselves, I will make another proclamation:
Being a Godly mother requires being with them more than doing for them. In reality, when they’re grown, they will care less about if you provided them with the best education, music classes or art lessons. Who they become won’t be due to the nice house they grew up in or coolest clothes and newest toys they owned. The thing they need most, Mom, is you. You there with them… often and a lot.
It is my belief that we are hand crafted to have personal relationships with our children like Jesus has with us. Our main goal needs to be how we can model Christ for them. He doesn’t just lay out goals for us to hit in life and say well done because we hit the mark. And while He does have individual plans for each of His children, He walks with us through trials and triumphs teaching us and loving on us through the entire process.
And you mom, as fragile and broken as you may think you are, if you could please listen to this mom (who is more than well aware of my many shortcomings):
“If you are a mother, our Lord is using you immensely in your child’s life to bring them God’s love.” Period. The end.
So, whether you are a mom whose had to drop everything in order to listen to your 18 year old share how they’ve experienced major life lessons you’d rather not know about, or you’re simply having a “play doh and puzzle day”-
remember that every effort you make to be intimately involved in your child’s life speaks volumes to them about how much they’re truly loved! <3