Who are you?

   

   Mom, you are important!!! Don’t tell me your kids aren’t watching you. Don't think for a second that how you live life in front of them doesn’t matter to them. It does matter. Greatly.

   I’m observing my household this morning. Caleb woke up early and is typing away on the computer on his new idea – a book about traps and animals. Mackenzie is playing a new song she wrote for her guitar about her testimony. Zach wants to write a book review about the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe which he listened to in its entirety yesterday. I don’t say this to draw attention to me or us. I share this to show you something GREAT and important, something I just realized...

   I love to write. I love to communicate through writing what I feel God stirring in my soul. I love stories – to read aloud to my kids gives and brings me great joy. I have done all these things in front of my kids for years – as long as they’ve been alive. They fuss at me for being on Microsoft Word too much – “Yep, mom’s back on the computer”. They get tired of me saying no to video games and yes to an audio book. But as I look around, I see evidences of who I am as a person and what I do as a result of that living out before my very eyes. No, Caleb’s book won’t be grammatically correct, and neither will this blog post. Mackenzie’s song needs a little more practice before it’s performed publically and Zach’s book may be barely legible! But they are doing what they see me do. For once, I am pleased. For once, its’ not shooting peas out their nose at the dinner table (where would they get that!?), or name calling which ends in the conversation that I somehow do it in love not in meanness…

   So this is my message to myself and to you, Mom…If you want your kids to be men and women of prayer…. Are you a woman of prayer? Do they see you devoting yourself to praying for them, the lady across the street, man at the store, families in need...Do they see it's more than words memorized, that you value prayer?

  Do you want your kids to men and women of great faith – faith that’ll move mountains…. Well, do you have that kind of faith? Do your kids see you trusting God when the waters begin to rise? Do they see you struggle to maintain eye contact with the Provider when life's waves want to distract you to focus only on the problems? I don't mean that you always have perfect composure, calm words and right answers to life. I mean, do you let them see you struggle and authentically walk by faith TODAY, knowing that God will use this and see us through this?

   These things are not taught. They are caught from your life. This is the great mission of motherhood. It forces me to become a greater woman. If I am to feed my lambs, I must feed myself from the Kings table. It is never too late, it is never too ugly or too hopeless. He is the Redeemer of our childhood, our circumstances, of ourselves. We cry out with the father in the scriptures, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” And then we pray with open hearts and hands. Jesus says,

“Ask, it will be given to you, seek you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

   Feast daily at the Kings table my friend! Fill yourself to overflowing for there is no gluttony on spiritual nourishment. There is however, spiritual anorexia when we give and give and give without receiving for ourselves the calories we need. That which we do, our children watch, and emulate. 

Don't forget....Who you are is important!

Putting it In Our Own Words,

~ Julie