GOING DEEP
Carolyn acknowledges that motherhood "includes a vast and varying range of experiences that produce inconsistent feelings and conflicting emotions." Describe your current "feelings" and "emotions" about motherhood. How does God's Word address your situation?
In what ways are you tempted to allow selfishness to "take away your smile"? According to this chapter, how can you get it back again?
If we asked your children how they know that you love them, what do you think they would say? Let's be inspired by each other's example and creativity.
What is the current state of your children's souls? How were you encouraged or provoked by reading the section "Our Highest Objective"?
3 comments:
Currently I'm "feeling" good. My youngest napped well today and my oldest is lots of fun, minus the whining.
I'm tempted when I don't have "me" time or when I can't get an chore done and am constantly interrupted. I can get my smile back/remain if I stay focused on God's purpose for my life and how I can glorify Him in my responses to life.
My children don't speak to express the ways they are loved. Lila and Grace give me lots of smiles and giggles, which are the best. Lila also hugs and kiss.
My children are too young to be accountable to their sin nature. I was very encouraged by this chapter as a whole and am honor and humbled to be in this position in life!
I have the typical mixture of extreme joy (what can make me happier than my baby girl giggling or reaching up for a hug or blowing kisses?), to frustration (what can irritate me more than having my daughter spit out her food and throw her fork on the floor creating yet ANOTHER MESS?), to impatience (when life is a series of tasks and my daughter is uncooperative and I can't do the things I'd rather do), to gratitude (I do thank God for letting me be a mom--I know that's not my right). Some of my feelings are right, and some of my feelings are sin.
I'm selfish. There's no denying it. I don't think I lose my smile over not getting to do all the things I want to do, but I think I do fall into the self-pity over how HARD everything must be. There's no more simply eating lunch or simply running to the store. Everything has to be difficult and exhausting (I may be exaggerating now). During those times, I can remind myself how blessed I am to even be a mom, to be able to stay home and care for and serve my child. If worse comes to worst, I can just remind myself that this time is short and will soon pass.
Like Maria, my daughter is too young to say anything. I think she feels my love through the time I spend focusing on her (playing or reading books or walking in the yard) and through the hugs and kisses and cuddles and tickles. Shortly after she was born, I started writing in a diary for her. Just my thoughts about her, my hopes and dreams for her, what I want her to know if our time together is even shorter than we expect it to be. When she's old enough, I think she'll see the love in that. I also think the sacrifices I make and the pains I take to make her life run as smoothly as possible speaks love...but she probably won't see/realize/appreciate that until she's a mom herself!
At this point, Mattaya is unsaved. I have to constantly be reminding myself that because of her unsaved state, all my words and all my actions must display Christ. Not that it should be any different if she was saved, but it is my job to communicate the gospel to her.
I never in a million years knew that being a mother would be so tough, so much work, and such an important job. For that I am overwhelmed at times, grateful at times, and sometimes I wonder what I would do without him (in a good way and a bad way).
I am definitely selfish with my time. James and I had 12 years together without the little one "interfering" with what we wanted to do. It's been a process of relearning our relationship with Tobias. Smiling is something I always forget to do. People have actually told me I look mad when I'm not at all. So I'm working on that in motherhood and just in everyday life.
I try to actually tell Tobias that I love him. That's not something I ever heard growing up so I think it's important to say as well as show.
I most definitely need to be showing Tobias Christ. I can already see that sin nature when he wants what he wants. He's no different than me - except that I know Christ. So I need to diligently pray for Tobias and show him Christ in my actions towards him and other people (especially his father).
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