After I shared this article on Facebook this morning, my friend Shannon made a comment that gave me some good insight into how to be an encouragement to moms and anyone else who may be feeling slightly more burdened than blessed.
The article talks about motherhood as a high calling--which I wholeheartedly agree with. Being a mom is one of the most challenging and important responsibilities a woman can have. But it is challenging. So I'm told. :) Shannon made the comment that she hadn't ever really thought of motherhood as a high calling but had heard several people say that children are a blessing. I had never thought of those as two sides of the same coin before. I think, particularly in Christian circles, we can all have a tendency to write off the challenges and the hard work of investing in family--whether that family is a spouse, kids, parents, siblings, or whomever--with the one dimensional comment, "But they're such a blessing." Yes, that is true, but it's also true that our greatest blessings and privileges require WORK. Are children still a blessing when you haven't had a full night's sleep or talked to another adult in weeks? Is a spouse still a blessing when his/her dirty dishes are strewn all over the kitchen for the fifth time that week despite your pleas for him/her to put them in the dishwasher? (I'm the one guilty of that offense more often than not, by the way.) Of course they are still blessings.
Let's be wary of not listening. Let's be wary of those one dimensional comments. Yes, mothers, your children are blessings. But that doesn't mean that they should or will make you smile 24 hours a day. Do you know a mom who could use a little extra encouragement today? Let her know it's okay if she's feeling more burdened than blessed. And help share the load. Then you will both be blessed. :)
*This post dedicated to the three beautiful mamas from church who welcomed or will be welcoming their precious babies this week!
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