A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day, in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M, and I pick up things. What am I?” When the papers were all in, the teacher was astounded to find that almost fifty-percent had written in, mother.
(So much for magnets!)
Did that give you a Mother's Day chuckle, or at least a smile? I hope so! We are kind of like magnets, aren't we? -- Picking up all sorts of stuff. Some things I'd rather not name let alone touch.
Part of our Princess Warrior identity will, most likely, at some time, involve motherhood. Even if you don't actually have children of your own, there will be plently of opportunities to serve as a mother figure.
Today, I felt like I was in a war zone right in my own kitchen. My daughter, bless her little heart, popped some popcorn. Not only did she burn it (pew), but also had an "incident" with hot, buttery, kernals exploding out of the bag and all over the kitchen floor. She picked it up (sort of) but I had to come in and finish the job. Warrior Mom to the rescue! As if that's not enough ...
Here's just a sampling of Princess Warrior Mom, Carol's, average day of picking up things:
My son's baseball uniform crumpled on the bathroom floor. (He's sooooooooooooooooo exhausted, "Please, mom, just this one time?" Ehem ... I should have never given in to that "one time" the first time.
Joe the Guinea Pig's timothy hay has somehow found it's way to the floor and for some reason the vaccume isn't working, yep, you get the picture. Down I go.
Oh my goodness! There goes a soda pop (a nice shade of brown) all over the mauve carpet -- again!
I won't bore you with my long, long list of "pick up" stories, but I suspect you have a fairly good picture of this cycle by now. If you have children, you, too, without a doubt, have lived some version of pick-up-cycle.
Do you ever wonder if our kids see us as the giant clean up genies? Good question, huh? Maybe we should take a poll.
Anyway, all this picking up led me to ponder my relationship as God's daughter.
I make a ton of "messes" in my own life. Thankfully, God is forever faithful to clean up and pick up after me, however, there are times when I must face specific consequences, especially, for those messes that I keep making over and over and over and over.
He loves me enough to let me experience His chastisement. The Bible says He disciplines those He loves. He takes time to show us the right way. He gives us example after example, highlighting better ways to live, ways that if followed, will keep us from making the same mistakes (messes) again and again.
Aren't you glad that our King rules with a loving and forgiving hand, teaching and training us in the way we should go? I know. Sometimes the discipline and consequence part doesn't feel so great. Believe me; I know. But, like we tell our kids ... it's for our (their) own good.
So, in light of all this, let's consider how we can better model His Ways for our children this Mother's Day.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be known by my children for simply picking up things. I want them to learn why it is important for them to take responsiblity and pick up after themselves. And I don't just mean in the physical sense. As Princess Warriors for Christ, when we make mistakes, which we will, often, let us be quick to admit to ourselves and our King that we are aware of our mess. Then, let us seek His mercy. Finally, let us accept God's training and example so perfectly described in His Word.
After all, we're not magnets ... we're mothers.
Did that give you a Mother's Day chuckle, or at least a smile? I hope so! We are kind of like magnets, aren't we? -- Picking up all sorts of stuff. Some things I'd rather not name let alone touch.
Part of our Princess Warrior identity will, most likely, at some time, involve motherhood. Even if you don't actually have children of your own, there will be plently of opportunities to serve as a mother figure.
Today, I felt like I was in a war zone right in my own kitchen. My daughter, bless her little heart, popped some popcorn. Not only did she burn it (pew), but also had an "incident" with hot, buttery, kernals exploding out of the bag and all over the kitchen floor. She picked it up (sort of) but I had to come in and finish the job. Warrior Mom to the rescue! As if that's not enough ...
Here's just a sampling of Princess Warrior Mom, Carol's, average day of picking up things:
My son's baseball uniform crumpled on the bathroom floor. (He's sooooooooooooooooo exhausted, "Please, mom, just this one time?" Ehem ... I should have never given in to that "one time" the first time.
Joe the Guinea Pig's timothy hay has somehow found it's way to the floor and for some reason the vaccume isn't working, yep, you get the picture. Down I go.
Oh my goodness! There goes a soda pop (a nice shade of brown) all over the mauve carpet -- again!
I won't bore you with my long, long list of "pick up" stories, but I suspect you have a fairly good picture of this cycle by now. If you have children, you, too, without a doubt, have lived some version of pick-up-cycle.
Do you ever wonder if our kids see us as the giant clean up genies? Good question, huh? Maybe we should take a poll.
Anyway, all this picking up led me to ponder my relationship as God's daughter.
I make a ton of "messes" in my own life. Thankfully, God is forever faithful to clean up and pick up after me, however, there are times when I must face specific consequences, especially, for those messes that I keep making over and over and over and over.
He loves me enough to let me experience His chastisement. The Bible says He disciplines those He loves. He takes time to show us the right way. He gives us example after example, highlighting better ways to live, ways that if followed, will keep us from making the same mistakes (messes) again and again.
Aren't you glad that our King rules with a loving and forgiving hand, teaching and training us in the way we should go? I know. Sometimes the discipline and consequence part doesn't feel so great. Believe me; I know. But, like we tell our kids ... it's for our (their) own good.
So, in light of all this, let's consider how we can better model His Ways for our children this Mother's Day.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be known by my children for simply picking up things. I want them to learn why it is important for them to take responsiblity and pick up after themselves. And I don't just mean in the physical sense. As Princess Warriors for Christ, when we make mistakes, which we will, often, let us be quick to admit to ourselves and our King that we are aware of our mess. Then, let us seek His mercy. Finally, let us accept God's training and example so perfectly described in His Word.
After all, we're not magnets ... we're mothers.
JUST FOR FUN:
TOP TEN LIST OF WHAT MOMS REALLY WANT FOR MOTHER'S DAY 10. To be able to eat a whole candy bar (alone) and drink a Coke without any "floaters." 9. To have a 14-year-old answer a question without rolling her eyes in that "Why is this person my mother?" way. 8. Five pounds of chocolate that won’t add twenty. 7. A shower without a child peeking through the curtain with a "Hi ya, Mom!" just as I put razor to my ankle. 6. A full-time cleaning person who looks like Brad Pitt. 5. For a teenager to announce, "Hey, Mom! I got a full scholarship and a job all in the same day!" 4. A grocery store that doesn’t have candy, gum, and cheap toys displayed at the checkout line. 3. To have a family meal without a discussion about bodily secretions. 2. To be able to step on a plane with toddlers and not have some pencil-neck-yuppie-geek moan, "Oh, no! Why me?" 1. Four words: Fisher Price Play Prison
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1 comment:
What a great post for Mother's Day. I love your challenge to work on being better models of His way to our children. That means that I have to get more into His Word and prayer. I really want my kids to see me growing spiritual. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they wanted to be like me. I'll never actually hear that, but maybe one of them will think it.
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