Friday, November 20, 2009

Children as a Blessing

Whenever anyone says that children are a blessing so many automatically assume that you are talking about a new baby. It is so easy to see a new pregnancy as a blessing or a newborn as a blessing. It is so easy to see them as a blessing when they are learning how to smile at you, reaching for your face or learning to give you kisses....
We don't continue to think that children are a blessing when they are two and pulling everything out of the cupboards or when they have climbed onto the kitchen table and are throwing everything off and watching it all break. Or when a four year old is coloring on the walls because he loves to draw and wants to help make your home beautiful. Or when your six year old has stolen and hidden your favorite candy bars to eat later that night and will soon be throwing all of it up.....
That is the farthest I have gotten in raising my children but I can imagine the preteen that will not stop talking about things you could care less about and don't even understand what they are saying or the teenager that will never talk to you because you annoy them......
They are blessings, given from God..... if we would truly believe that and treat them that way maybe they would react differently... we don't tell them they are blessings and they are the ones that need to know. I have been telling my children on at least a daily basis that they are blessings, that God gave them to me to take care of and train them up to be great men of God... this has changed their attitude because even at six my little boy wants to be better because he knows that it is for a reason! Each child has been added to my care because God has a purpose for them and for me, I have the responsibility to raise them as a gift... a gift held with my hands wide open because they will be returned to their Maker...

Monday, November 9, 2009

Treating a Gift as a Gift

As a mother of four boys 6 and under I feel that I often forget that they are a gift to me from the Father....just because of the busyness of life and keeping things running I have to remind myself that they are not a nuisance or a hindrance to my goal.... that raising them IS my goal.... not the things that are done along side, but the children are the priority. The house, dishes, clothes, toys, cooking, bargain shopping, homeschooling and all the many things I do are to take care of them and to make life better for them, yes... but when I get caught up in "getting things done" I fight the feeling to "keep the kids out of the way"....
I'm not saying that keeping the house in order is not important, just the attitude that I have with the work, it is the journey that matters. I want them included in the running of things with the attitude that we are all working together towards a goal... not the attitude of raise them so they can do it all for me or that they need to be locked up in a room in order for me to "get the job done". There has to be a balance. My desire is to raise my children with the right heart and with purpose. So that they know the heart of the Father for them. That God wants to use them so that He can bless them. To obey the "rules" in order to be protected and blessed. To want to obey and love because they are so deeply loved. I want the tone I use with them to be one of love and patience even in the most frustrating circumstances. For I know each one is a specific gift to add something to my life that was not there before, and just like any other physical gift I would receive, I want to take care of them, protect them and love them.
Children are not seen as an actual gift, but a responsibility... and I think what we don't realize is that every gift has a responsibility that goes along with it.
I am striving each day to grow the spirit that is inside their body..... I could keep a spotless home with clean folded laundry everyday and have my sons grow up with the deep wound that they are a burden to me because they always leave things a mess....but that would stunt their growth and possibly hinder them from truly knowing the heart of the Father toward them....

So Father, take my heart and give me your heart toward my sons, I give you the tone of voice that I use with them and the words that I speak and ask for your tone and your words..... I give you my "goals" and I ask you to give me your goals.... take this family that we have begun and finish the work.... give us sons and daughters who will run after you with all of their lives..... I give my "control" to you and ask you to control. Thank you for the blessings that you have given specifically for this family, this time in history and thank you for entrusting them to me.... thank you that you have given me everything I need to be the mother that you created me to be.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A place to be me

I've been wanting to do this for a long time.... somewhere to share my mind with someone who can't respond and tell me how I am wrong. I have been struggling for a while with people and their opinion of me. I am terrified of what people think of me, always have been, but am really starting to recognize it in myself now. I guess alot of my thoughts are very strong and different from alot of people in my circle. I seem to offend people alot because of that. I think I come across was to strong and aggressive than I want to. Anyway, I'm glad to be here in the land of blogging. And I think I will be here pretty often.....and dear No One, I hope you enjoy it....or at least tolerate it....