"....Your children shall be like olive plants all around your table." Psalm 128:3

Monday, May 7, 2012

A Joyful Mother






Our society doesn't necessarily make us feel that motherhood is a joy.  Comments from strangers that I sure have my hands full don't always spark joy in my heart. They are right - I do have my hands full.

It isn't always easy, and is most often challenging. People frequently question our family size and wonder why I would want to have my children home with me all day.

Inevitably August comes, and I begin to hear familiar comments from mothers about how happy  they are that their children are going back to school. They certainly don't seem very joyful about spending the summer with their children.

But I suffer from the same problem - lack of joy. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the nitty gritty details of everyday life and miss all the joy that my children bring to my life.

Instead, I should count it a blessing that my children are underfoot all day and I can see everything  that happens as they grow.

I can be happy that when my teenager has a problem that needs to be talked about, I am right there for them..to listen and give counsel.

Or when my 10-year-old has a question about the Lord, he will come to me for the answer.

Or when my toddler falls down and scrapes her knee, I am the one who will hold her and comfort her.

Friends, we should realize the magnitude of the ministry the Lord has given us in training our children at home. And our joy should be in simply being there each day to train our children - not in achieving some high standard of performance each day... and not in doing all the tasks we think we must do.

True joy comes when we realize that we are right where God has placed us - in  the center of His will and in the heart of our home...caring for our husband, children, and our home. True joy is accepting God's best for us.

"He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!"  -  Psalm 113:9

I hope your day is joy-filled!








linking up at The Modest Mom
                       Deep Roots at Home
                       Each Card Tells a Story