Motherhood Matters
When I was a mom of young children people always said, “Treasure these years because they pass so fast.” But, when I was a mom of young children the days felt so long because the lessons I learned were hard. Self-sacrifice, patience, and trusting that God loves my kids more than I do, and can protect, discipline, and guide them better than I are hard lessons to learn!
This year, my eighteen-year-old, Jacob, is finishing his senior year of high school. It seems like he is becoming a young man overnight. He went to three proms this year as friends with girls who I believe asked him because they trusted his character. He will be graduating this Wednesday and will be going to Anderson University next year. My husband and I are looking back at pics of him as a toddler, and just wishing we could have one day to cuddle with that little guy.
My fifteen-year-old is now driving and is now 6’3”. He has surpassed our entire family in height. He attended his first cotillion this year and is a responsible and committed student and athlete. He doesn’t need me to take him to school, to see his friends, or to church. You moms of young children might envy me, but I’ve been experiencing a strange sort of grieving. I’m missing the presence of my boys before they are even gone, but I’m also so proud of who they are and who they are becoming.
I’ve found that life often teaches us lessons in strange ways. When I was a mom of young kids, I longed for they days they could take care of themselves. And, while I felt relief when those days did come, I am now wishing for those younger days again. So, you see, I am starting to understand the truth of the advice I received as a young mom, “Treasure these years because they pass so fast!”
Recently I preached a Mother’s Day sermon on how Motherhood Matters. I told a few funny stories about my kids and motherhood, but mostly I wanted to encourage moms in their calling to shepherd their kids. In I Thessalonians 2:5-8, Paul says that he, Timothy and Silas loved and cared for the Thessalonian church like a “nursing mom taking care of her own children.” In fact here are some of the specific ways in which he did this:
They were not manipulative or greedy.
They were not people pleasers, but God-pleasers.
They were gentle and nurturing (like a mother), rather than power-hungry and arrogant.
They not only shared the gospel, but also shared themselves (sacrificial).
They worked day and night so they wouldn’t be a burden.
They lived devout, righteous, and blameless lives.
When I consider this list, I realize that the way Paul shepherded the Thessalonians mirrors the way I’ve shepherded my children. I have tried not be manipulative or greedy, but rather generous with myself. I have tried not to please people (or my kids), but God in my parenting. Although I did discipline my kids, I aimed to do it in a gentle and nurturing manner. I shared the gospel and myself with my kids, worked day and night, and tried to live an upright life in order to be a consistent example of Jesus to my kids.
It encourages me to know that I have shepherded my kids in many of the same ways Paul and his companions shepherded the Thessalonians. But, even more, Paul’s love for the Thessalonians was a mirror of the way Isaiah describes God’s love for Israel, “As a mother comforts her son, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:3).
Moms, isn’t this incredible? God’s love for Israel and Paul’s love for the Thessalonians is likened unto a mom’s love for her children! I hope this helps you understand the importance and weight of your calling. Motherhood is a hard calling, but it is an essential calling. Motherhood Matters!
When you get a minute, take a listen to my message on Motherhood Matters!
