I was listening to a Focus on the Family broadcast this week about the mission of being a mom.
I always knew that I wanted to be a mom, even before I got married and had kids. So when Jesse and I talked about how we saw our roles in our marriage, it was natural for me to to say that I wanted to be at home with our children.
Fast forward a few years (actually, 7 years!) and I am at home with our two little boys. And it feels somewhat weird.
Three months after Gavin was born, I went back to work at church. He came with me of course, so I felt like I had the best of both worlds - being a mom and working. I enjoyed those days at the office with him. I liked being able to work and take care of my little boy at the same time. I kind of felt like a supermom.
Now that I am not the children's director anymore and spend more of my days at home with Gavin and Cameron, I find myself not knowing what to do with my days. It's not that I want to go back to work, because I am working about 10 hours a week for church still (thankfully it can be at home), but maybe I don't see what I am doing here at home as important as what I did at church.
Jesse and I listened this week to Luc share with his church congregation the story of their mom and the legacy that she left for her boys. I know she made mistakes and probably had days that she wanted to throw things out the window, but Peggy instilled many biblical values and truths into her boys. She never let them forget that God made them special, that He loved them, that He had a plan for them, and taught them how to act in this crazy world of ours.
They are now all serving The Lord someway or another. What a legacy. She looked at her position as a mom to her boys as her mission. She had never wanted to be a mom (or so the story goes), but when God gave her four boys, she did not let those years go by without building a deep foundation in their lives. She loved them and she sure showed them how much.
I love my boys. I love them with everything in me. So why do I get annoyed when Cameron cries as soon as I sit down on the couch? And why do I struggle to know if I am doing the right things with Gavin?
Am I teaching them enough about God? What about their manners? How to be gentlemen? Am I doing something important?
This week I have been learning, YES. This is my mission. These two little souls are what God has blessed me with. I get to wake up each morning to snuggles, kisses, coos and smiles. I get to sing "Jesus Loves Me" over and over again. I get to pray with Gavin. Teach Gavin how to pray. I get to read Bible stories again and again on the couch before bed. These boys are my mission. What a blessing!
