I had a pediatrician recently tell me, "You have five kids, you know everything." I'm not sure if he was being funny, but I definitely don't know everything. I realize everyday how much I don't know.
I like to think of myself in mommy school. My teacher is God, and occasionally, my children are the teachers.
In this school, graduation is not the goal. Every mommy will have a different goal. My goal, is raising children who are dependent on God. Children who are respectful, compassionate, and courageous. I want them to love God with all their hearts, and be a light wherever they go.
Every day I have to learn what God wants to teach me. Because raising these kind of children, doesn't happen by accident.
How does God teach me, in this mommy school, you may be wondering?
Sometimes, He shows me things in His Word. And I find encouragement and strength to face the day.
Other times, He teaches me through house work. I'm not talking about I learn how to cook better, or clean better. Although, that should be a goal. He teaches me perseverance, when I want to quit. He teaches me calmness when I feel overwhelmed. And the list could go on.
He also teaches me through my children. Their words help teach me but also their actions. Children have a way of humbling their parents and bringing out faults that need to be dealt with. Sometimes, we don't see the error of our ways, until our children bring it out of us.
Every person has different things they need to learn. We are not all in the same 'grade' at 'school'. You might have mastered skills that I'm struggling with, or vise versa.
In my mommy school, God is teaching me a few things. And here's what I'm learning.
I am learning that love works better than a strong word sometimes. My children, know how to push my buttons, so to speak. They are with me all day, and sometimes, they do things just to annoy me. I'm only human, and in the flesh, I'd respond by yelling or getting frustrated. That does not work, and a soft answer and a loving response speaks more than anything done in anger ever could.
I am learning that mercy should be generously giving sometimes. Discipline is definitely needed, but sometimes, Mercy is needed instead of discipline. We all make mistakes, and forget what we are supposed to be doing. Children are no different. They get distracted and forget. If they are not will fully disobeying, but are acting like a child, mercy should be applied. Sometimes, I get upset when my children act like children. It might be hard to believe, but they are not going to be little adults.
God is teaching me to be more understanding. I have some fussy boys. Two of my boys fuss over almost everything. Sometimes I wonder if they know what they are fussing about. Fussing gets old very fast. If I try to understand why they are fussing, then a solution can be found. But also teaching them to use their words in communication could help the situation not escalate to fussiness stage. My two boys that fuss alot are 3 and 5. It's hard sometimes to stop and be more understanding.
I'm learning that everything doesn't have to be perfect. Im not a perfectionist, but I like to have everything done. I have a hard time sitting still if things need to be done. I think all the housework has to be done each day and I can't relax if something isn't finished. I need to be more like Mary, and sit at the feet of Jesus instead of being like Martha, and laboring constantly. It's good to have a clean house, but it's not good to be unbalanced, or stressed.
God is showing me that it's ok to give yourself some grace. No mother is Super Woman. We can't do it all. I think I'm supposed to get all the housework done, homeschool three children, take care of a baby and toddler, potty train, cook, and whatever else I have to do each day. But if something doesn't get done, it's not the end of the world. I really have a hard time with that.
I'm learning to laugh more. Sometimes I can be kind of serious. I have so much on my mind, like everything that needs to get done that I forget to enjoy the little things in life. Children are such a blessing, and sometimes we just need to get on their level, play with them, laugh with them, and be silly. They will never forget those memories.
If you are in this mommy school with me, I hope you listen to God and learn all He has for you. And make this a great school year. Before you can teach and train your kids, sometimes we need God to work on our hearts and in our lives. Life is a journey, let's have teachable spirits, and not miss the opportunities God places in our lives to learn.
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