It Is An Honor To Be A Mom

Yesterday, I wrote about some of the women who influenced me. Today I am lead to share some of my thoughts about being a mom. Please keep in mind, these are my thoughts. I don't claim to be an expert. I fall extremely short of being the woman God wants me to be. But even so, I keep on striving towards that goal. I know that I can not do it on my own. He is with me every step of the way.

Ok, this is something that you'll hear me say over and over again... I LOVE BEING A MOM! I love everything about it. I have welcomed it, with outstretched arms, everything that comes my way regarding being a mom. Has it been easy? No, but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. :o) I don't like to dwell on the bad times, I prefer to focus on the good times. My Knight teasingly tells me, it's because I live in a Pollyanna world. But I don't mind, I like it there. :o)

Personally, there are two things that I consider the most important part of being a mom. One is to be a woman who loves and follows the Lord, Jesus Christ. The next, is to love her husband. Not just with words, but with actions. Well we all know that love is a verb. So the best way to love someone is by showing it.

I feel it's important that my children see my walk with Jesus Christ. That they see He dwells within me. It's not enough to have my children hear me talk about our Heavenly Father. They have to see it in action too. How else can it be real to them? Parents whether they try to or not, influence their children. So as a mom, it's up to me to set an example. To pave the road ahead for them. If I walk the straight and narrow, they might deviate, but God will always bring them back. Now, I am human, I mess up. I mess up all the time. Praise the Lord, my Heavenly Father is merciful and showers me with grace. My children see me stumble. But they also see me repent. Saying sorry sometimes sounds empty, but backing up that sorry means all the difference in the world.

As a mom, I feel I have to give my all to my husband and children. I don't consider it a sacrifice or a martyrdom. My children will only be under my care for a blink of an eye. Before I know it they will be married and starting a family of their own. What I do with them and for them now, will impact them for the rest of their lives. I don't take that lightly. Right now, it's all about them. They'll be plenty of time for me later on. But you know what, honestly, doing for them is also doing for me. I feel fulfilled when I do for them. So I guess in a sense, I'm being selfish too. You see, I told you I was sinful. lol!

Now I'll share what I feel is most important, aside from teaching my children about God. Drum roll..... loving my Knight. I need to set the example of having a good marriage. There is no such thing as a perfect man, woman, child or marriage. It just doesn't exist. Only God is perfect and flawless. By loving, submitting (in the biblical sense, not how the world sees it) and edifying my Knight, I am setting an example for my children. They get to see first hand what God intends a marriage to be. Like I said before, I know that no one is perfect. I'm a sinner saved by grace. I make mistakes. I say things I shouldn't say and do things I shouldn't do. I repent and strive to be the woman God wants me to be. My children know that when people love each other it's not about self, it's all about your loved one. So when I'm busy pleasing my Knight and he in turn is busy pleasing me, we are being selfless. I'm not talking about intimacy, even though it applies in that area too. :o) What I'm trying to say and I might not be getting it across the way I want to, is that by putting my Knight first, I'm dying to self and it's freeing. By my Knight putting me first, he's dying to self and it frees him. In the end, we are thinking of each other and that's when it all comes together. That is what 1 Corinthians 13 is all about. That is what my Knight and I strive for.

I have to honestly say that I have been very blessed. My Knight is a wonderful husband and dad. I know that it makes it easy to love him, but we are not always lovable are we? LOL! He is involved in every aspect of our lives. Which make parenting much easier. We support each other. When one is at wits ends (it does happen), the other one picks up and takes over. It has always been like that for us. We are there for each other and for our children.

I know you've heard me say it a thousand times, all I ever wanted was to be a wife and a mom. I always wanted to have a large family. I could see me with 12 children, but the Lord in his infinite wisdom blessed with with 5. Well, years ago we miscarried while I was 18 weeks pregnant. So we have one waiting for us up in Heaven. So I God has really blessed me with 6 children... my favorite number.

I love my children with all my heart. I love my Knight with all of my heart too. Being a mom, I though it was up to me to teach and them to learn, but my family has taught me so much. Little did I know that I too would be learning too. I've only been a mom for 20 years. And I've learned that, I still have much to learn...