I guess I could write about the two day trip I took to Wichita this past week...with the kids...BY MYSELF...but I get tired just thinking about it again...
I could write about the gorgeous weather and all the fun we've been having outside...
I could write about how taxing this season of life is...or how gracious my husband is in the midst of it...
Instead, I think I will share this...from the book we've been reading for the mom's group I'm a part of...Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas...I just finished it today, with tears streaming down my cheeks as I read...
Raising children surely serves as a masterful school of spiritual formation. The journey is wonderful and it's exhausting, yet fulfilling from start to finish...
...Mothers and fathers, when you give your tiny infant a bath, you are washing God's baby. Pause a moment in your busy day and look up to heaven. When you minister to that youngster can you imagine God smiling down at you? When you fix that hungry six-year-old a peanut butter sandwich, you are feeding one of God's children. Listen carefully--you may hear God laughing in pleasure. When you hug an adolescent whom others have teased mercilessly at school, you are comforting God's teenager. Are those God's tears dampening your shoulder?
In the process of caring and loving, you bring God great pleasure. At that very moment you become His provision, His comfort, His passion. Learn to swim in that joy, and you will never look at parenting the same way again.
You could have rejected this child. You could have spurned the demands on your time, your resources, and your emotional well being. But instead, you accepted this child, through great pain you gave birth to this child, and with even greater pain you make daily sacrifices to love this child. Your heavenly Father doesn't miss a second of this sacrifice. He sees it all. He cries with you and He laughs with you and He takes great joy in the good work you are doing...
...one thing I know: Being a parent is a sacred calling.
The daily grind tends to wear on my sense of vision and purpose as a stay-at-home-mom these days.I need to hear these kinds of words often.
5 comments:
this is SO good. Thinking I need to read this book! Hang in there, these days with toddlers and babies are indeed wearing, and seem endless, I know. I am sure you and T are doing an awesome job~
Very, very inspiring. If it's any comfort to you, I really struggled with the change that came with two kids. Yowsa...it's hard. :)
Wow. That's beautiful. I need to read that every day before I begin my day.
What a beautiful passage... Thanks so much for sharing it.
-- Kristin
i need to read that book...that is a great perspective to have when things get rough...
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