There are many moments when I second guess myself as a mother. The philosophies that I firmly believe in sometimes seem ridiculous especially during seasons when life seems chaotic or when my children are being naughty or uncooperative. There are times when I look at others who seem to have a perfect life and wonder what I'm doing wrong. And it's in those moments when I need the Holy Spirit the most. I need him in those times to remind me to follow my heart, to ensure me that my sacrifices are worth it, and to help me remember what is truly important. We aren't a family that lives by the clock. We'll soak up an experience before we think about what time it is or what we're late for. We don't opperate like a well oiled machine. From the outside we look unorganized and helter-skelter. But we try our best to nourish our hearts. We live for the moment and the experience. We overlook spilled soap in the name of curiosity. Our house isn't always clean, we only have hard and fast rules when it comes to morals, and even though we fail our biggest goal is to communicate the Grace of the Gospel and exemplify the Fruits of the Spirit. Thankfully, I read something this week that reminded me that we are OK. In fact, maybe we're even more than OK. By the Grace of God we might even be thriving.
"You may have known families who seem to have it all together. Everyone to his own military bunk. Dinner from the crockpot at 6:00PM on the dot. Family worship in the living room. Children quietly doing dishes afterwards. Then, as the children hit their teen years, you start to see that alongside all that organization was some serious neglect and hurt. It is possible to organize your children right out of the Church. So, while your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice. Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had. Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters."
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches By Rachel Jankovic p. 51
"You may have known families who seem to have it all together. Everyone to his own military bunk. Dinner from the crockpot at 6:00PM on the dot. Family worship in the living room. Children quietly doing dishes afterwards. Then, as the children hit their teen years, you start to see that alongside all that organization was some serious neglect and hurt. It is possible to organize your children right out of the Church. So, while your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice. Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had. Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters."
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches By Rachel Jankovic p. 51
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