Over the years, I've had many women, mainly moms,
say the following things to me:
1. Do you ever get stressed out, especially
since you homeschool and now have four kids?
2. You must be so patient because I could never do
what you do.
3. Must be nice to have a perfect life.
4. If you homeschool your kids, you must be really
smart!
5. How do you do it?
First of all, those questions or comments are not
true. To be honest, it makes me laugh inside, and sometimes, right in
someone’s face!! Remember, I’ve been married for 15 years, and I
homeschool 4 kids!! To be honest, having a healthy marriage takes work.
In my opinion, it is much harder being a wife than it is being a mother, which
is another topic all together.
There are times I get stressed out and lose my
cool. My life is not perfect. I’m definitely not some super smart
person. However, I love God and my family. This is the fuel that keeps me
going. I know my role in this family is to support my husband, and to
guide and train our children to find their purpose and live it out loud.
Knowing this keeps me focused and excited, and I try not to focus on the things
we can’t control. I can list all
kinds of things I can’t do, but why spend time focusing on those things when,
really, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me? (Phil 4:13).
Here are a few reminders on how to have a
“successful” life. It is simple, but not easy. I realize you may
already know the answers. Maybe you just need a little
reminder. These are just a few examples on how I live my
life.
1. I
put God first, and I've learned that
His voice is all that matters. When I follow Him, everything else
falls in place. When I begin to feel a little stressed, I realize I’m
depending on my strength and not on God.
2. I work on myself, learning new skills, and I
surround myself with the right kind of people.
3. I keep my mindset in check: what you think and
speak about is what you create in your life. This doesn’t mean you won’t
have hard times. However, you can’t let your circumstances control you.
4. I focus on the moment while keeping the bigger
picture in mind.
5. I keep my priorities straight, and I know what my purpose
and plans are as a daughter of God, a wife, and a mother. And I am able to say
NO!
The bottom line is this: if you have been given the
gift of motherhood, it’s the biggest blessing you could ever receive. I
know we say this, but at times it can get lost if we don’t realize that what we
do every single day when nobody is looking matters. One day, all your
hard work will pay off. If you keep your eyes and heart open, you will
see it already has. The biggest blessing for me is watching my children fall in
love with Christ, and not be ashamed of their faith. Seeing them want to
worship Jesus in everything they do, not because of what I say, but because
they know Him and have developed their own relationship with Him.
Maybe you don't believe in God. There are so
many other examples that could apply to you. How about when your kids
wake up, or kiss you goodnight, and say they love you? When your kids
make the right choice, without you being with them? When you see them
reach their dreams, or have a healthy marriage because of your influence in
their life? Or when you experience the birth of your grandchildren?
The list can go on and on.
Yes, the world wants you to think you don’t matter
and that you are missing out on something when you choose to put family
first. I’m not saying you can’t have dreams, or want to do more
with your life. I will tell you this--there isn’t much more that you can
ask for than being a mom. This season in life will go fast. It is over before
we know it. Trust me, the laundry, noise, constant reminders,
disciplining, driving, whatever it may be, you will miss.
If you find that you are not enjoying being a mom,
or you are extremely stressed out, reach out to someone and ask for help.
Don’t just go through the motions. Learn how to become the mom you
have always wanted to be.
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