Birthdays & Mothers Day

Today is my birthday. As my children began singing 'Happy Birthday', I honestly wanted to grab the covers and roll over. Then I quickly realized....in a few years, my kids will care less about my birthdays and will be out of the house celebrating their own personal joys.

My birthday always comes just a few days before Mothers Day. Mothers Day didn't mean anything to me before I had kids. But my, how quickly your perspective can change when you find yourself in the middle of it! And I have a much greater admiration for my own mother than I did before I had children. Not every woman finds herself a mother, but I believe God had a special purpose in mind of those who are.

I Timothy 2:15 says, "Notwithstanding she (the woman) shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." Before this verse, Paul was giving instructions to various people. Some may disagree with my reasoning here, but I believe Paul was saying that in being a mother, God makes the woman a better person.

Because of Jesus, we are justified. When we die, we move into glorification as we will be in eternity with the Father. But what happens between our justification here on earth and glorification in heaven? Sanctification. Sanctification makes you more into the person God wants you to be. God uses events, friends, trials, tribulations, enemies and circumstances to mold us into that person He had in mind for us to be.

So in thinking of some ways God uses my own children to help sanctify me, I came up with several:

First of all, I see my own depravity through my children. A year or so ago, I had made the mistake of telling Gracie, "you're getting on my nerves!" It wasn't too long after that I had obviously done something to frustrate her. Gracie blurted out to me, "Momma, you are getting on my nervous!" Although it was a funny moment, I quickly learned the mother is the teacher. The child is the student. And as the mother/teacher, you realize the things you say to your children and how they hear your words and repeat them.

Secondly, being a mother brings about humility. A mother will do things for her children she wouldn't even dream of doing for anyone else! Jesus came to serve "the least of these" and motherhood has taught me how to serve others.

Motherhood has taught me endurance. Being a mother isn't a job you can just quit. You make mistakes, you learn and you press on.

And lastly, motherhood has taught me patience. Each one of my three children are different. I'm learning each and every day what those differences are. This year, I've learned Gracie is a fast learner, Will is all boy, and Lilly Faith is my sensitive child. Even with each of their differences, I have to work with how they are bent.

Most would agree that mothers shape their children. More importantly, but now I'm beginning to believe God uses the children to shape the mother.