I absolutely love motherhood! There are many days of bubbling joy. Then, there are those days when I feel completely burned out. I will say that it does require courage and endurance because it’s an ongoing, challenging role.
Basically, it’s learn-as-you-go and I honestly believe we give our very best to our children. As moms, our varying skill-sets include a combination of our personal style, childhood experiences and what we’ve learned from others about parenting. My heart has always been to point my children in the direction of the One who is perfect. I desire to love the Lord so passionately that it spills over onto my children.
What I love most about being a mom is watching their unique personalities flourish. Often as I watch my children, I’m amazed by their differences and similarities. I ask God to reveal to me the spirit of each child because I want to identify and nurture their gifts. I always stress to them the significance of seeing both their differences and similarities as a blessing. I want them to understand that their strengths, weaknesses, differences, and similarities can compliment each other – very similar to mom and dad’s relationship.
Both hubby and I encourage teamwork. At this stage, it’s a work-in-progress for our family. I continue to hear the typical back-n-forth disagreements but it’s always a breath of fresh air when I hear them working together peacefully on a project. I’m certain that at some point it will all make sense to them and they will reflect back on our conversations and say, “Oh, now I understand what mom meant.”
I’ve also learned that raising children may require different approaches. What may work for one child may not necessarily work for the other child. Parenting does involve customization because children are so uniquely different.
Our children are like the flowers of a garden. Each flower has its own unique detail. Some require shade and others thrive in sunlight. Some need more water than others. Some plants can withstand the outside weather conditions, while others must remain inside. The most important thing is that they all require consistent nourishment to sustain them. They need essential nutrients to grow and that’s what moms give to their children. We pour life into them. We provide the soil of God’s Word. We plant seeds of love and wisdom. We pull away the weeds of negativity and discouragement – anything that would seek to stifle their growth. And we fertilize them with prayers, faith and blessings so that they may blossom and spread their beauty with others. Our children are our gardens. Give attention to their every detail and watch them grow and flourish!
