At MOPS on Tuesday, I was privileged to lead a devotion at the beginning of our meeting. I had a couple people tell me they really liked it, so I thought I would share at least the essence of it with you too.
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait ’til tomorrow,
but babies grow up, we’ve learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs, dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.
I hope my children look back on today
and see a parent who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and scrubbing,
but children grow up when we’re not looking.
I suffer from what I call “Good Mom Complex”. Just for starters, a good mom wouldn’t only clean the floor once things start sticking to her feet.
A good mom wouldn’t get so irritated when her toddler is whine-y.
A good mom would vacuum every day so there wouldn’t be a chance of the baby eating bugs.
A good mom would do educational crafts every day.
A good mom would get up early and make breakfast for(or eat breakfast with) her family.
A good mom wouldn’t let the toddler wear the same clothes three days in a row to avoid a fight.
Of course, your good mom list will vary, but I think somewhere inside we all see ourselves failing, at least to a certain extent, in this very intense and emotional calling. It’s important to identify, as much as you can, the sources from which these lies generate. Maybe it’s your aunt, telling you nurse the baby too often. Maybe it’s the neighbor saying you should be starting your child memorizing Bible verses already. Perhaps it’s your mother-in-law, or the pediatrician, or your sister. It might be the parenting magazines, who show you how perfect you could be if only you would try harder, or buy this product. It could be just your own insecurities, like I know it is with me, making me feel like everyone is looking at my efforts and how I fall short. There is a verse from Colossians 3:23. The Message puts it like this: Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God. Let me repeat. Do your best. That’s not the same as Super Organized Suzi or Always Organic Olivia or Made from Scratch Martha. Do your best.
The poems I read earlier, were crewled and needlepointed by my grandmother and hung in our upstairs all my growing up years. I know them by heart, and in this particular stage in life something I need be reminded of often. That verse from Colossians and those poems both say the same thing to me. The love with which I do my task, the heart from which I work, is what really matters. The loving care pleases God. The rocking of the baby, the playing with the children is what I’m here for. It’s what I was made to do. I need to give the best effort I have and trust God to give me the rest. In this calling, God is the answer, and the only one I have to answer to.
I think you are a wonderful mother! You do so much with your girls–more than anyone else I know. I could spend less time cleaning and more time playing… *sigh*
Good Morning ,
I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading your devotional. Many times I have repeated that little poem to my children and grandchildren. These babies grow up so fast that you blink and they are grown. I am the mother of three adopted and one natural born children and a grandmother of 8. I expect my first great-grand child due this month. In this day and time I know it is necessary for so many moms to have to work to make ends meet. When my children were little I opted to stay home. I did do some home day care but we didn’t have very much money. Sometimes I have felt guilty for not being able to have given them more materialist things. I made that comment to my oldest daughter and her respondst was,”Oh but Mom you just don’t know how good those warm cookies were when we got home from school!” So I say to all you moms whether working or staying at home love those kids with all you have and make memories. There will be time to do all that cleaning when the nest is empty. Enjoy being a mom. You are doing a great job with your girls. I happened on your blog from your artical in Country magazine and enjoy “keeping up” with your sweet family. May God’s Blessings and Peace continue to shine on you.
Judy