This is written by my amazing husband of 40+ years, Steve. He requested to share this month. Be blessed!
The ups and downs of being a mom are incredible. Admit it, did you have any idea how tough being a good mom was going to be? I remember hearing Teri, sleep deprived and discouraged in the days after our first child’s birth, say, “Mom never told me it would be like this.” Maybe you have felt like that.
Twenty years later, when our eighth child was born, Teri had a good idea what motherhood meant. She still had struggles, and she knew a lot of work was ahead. She, however, had the comparison of the joy set before her. She had learned how critical a daily walk with the Lord Jesus was to her calling.
I wonder if it isn’t even more difficult these days for moms to want to invest in their children’s lives when children are seen as having little value compared to 40 years ago when we started having children. Sadly our society has turned it upside down. To the world, the huge investment of motherhood is seen as nothing compared to the value of Mom earning a paycheck.
Wouldn’t you agree that for most a woman’s worth is evaluated by the size of her paycheck? We’ve seen that sort of trade before when Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of soup. Paychecks hardly last from one to the next, but children are eternal. Think about what you are pouring your life out for.
As I write this I am looking out my window on a beautiful spring day watching two of my daughters in the backyard with nine of my little grandchildren—all of them joyfully singing praises to the Lord. I want to put that picture in your mind as you continue to pour out your life into your children’s lives. All those sleepless nights, dirty diapers, runny noses, spilled milk, and hours upon hours of teaching result in servants fit for the Master’s use.
Truly there is no tougher or more rewarding job than being a mom. If God calls, He equips. You might ask, “But if I’m equipped, then why is it so difficult?” Are you abiding in the Lord Jesus? He doesn’t ask you to do this on your own. Your spiritual energy, your stamina, your peace, and your hope are all in Christ.
“… He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). I saw days when Teri grew weary of her well-doing in motherhood. She needed to be encouraged not to faint but to look forward to the season of reaping. May I be the one to encourage you moms who are reading this Mom’s Corner that your children are worth every sacrifice you make. I want you to look out your window in the future and see your little grandchildren singing and praising the Lord! Remember Christ’s own words, “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me” (Matthew 18:5).
Steve Maxwell