Do you ever have one of those days?
One of those days where you just feel...blah...?
One of those days when you question if what you're doing really matters in the grand scheme of things?
I'm going to assume you do. I think everyone does. No matter how convicted I am on a Monday that I'm using my time on Earth wisely, I sometimes wake up on a Wednesday and totally doubt myself.
I believe fervently that you were created to be you. Created--a Creator designed you; to be you--you have a function. I believe it's true of rocks and trees, of birds and bees, and of you and me. We were created, therefore, we matter.
If you doubt this, I would love to meet you and prove it to you. I don't think you'll need to look very hard to find a reason that you matter.
Right now I would like to address mothers of young children. It is the season I find myself in life, and the function of which I most doubt myself. I wonder if I should be staying home full time, or if I should go back to work. I wonder if I'm teaching my son everything I should be teaching him, or if he's going to be ruined somehow because I've failed him. On my best days I see my son as my ministry and feel fully convicted that staying home with him full time is my true calling. On my worst days I wonder if he is really benefiting from his time spent with me, and if he'd be better off with me going back to work and building him a college fund. I wonder, like a lot of people, if I'm doing what matters most. So I write this to you and to me, mamas, as a reminder of what we know in our hearts to be true.
Whatever you're doing for your children, however you are raising them, what you do matters immensely.
When you are home with your children, that time matters. Whether you plan a day full of activities or struggle to find the time to get everyone dressed and fed, you matter. Every second you spend with your children, you are giving of yourself. In a world full of selfish people, you are showing them how love inspires sacrifice. When you take time to play, you are teaching them that it is good to slow down and enjoy each other. When you provide a meal, you are teaching them not to worry about their physical needs. When you give them a cuddle, you are giving them a safe place to rest. Whether you are busy from sun up to sun down or whether you have a day where you barely move from the couch, you matter. To your children, you matter immensely.
When you are away from your children, that time matters. Whether you work outside the home or need to get away for an hour to do some grocery shopping, you matter. When you leave and come back home, your children learn to trust you, and they learn that they'll be okay even if you aren't around. When your children see you working hard at whatever you're doing, they'll learn to appreciate a strong work ethic. When you leave them in the hands of a trusted caregiver, you are allowing them to shine in a different way, and allowing someone else to delight in them. When you kiss them goodbye when you leave and kiss them hello when you arrive, they'll know they are loved even when you are away. When you have quiet time away from your family, you can regroup, refocus, and refresh yourself to be an even better mom, which matters to your children immensely.
Sometimes in life we do great things where we receive praise from those around us, and we know we are valuable.
Sometimes in life we do great things and no one seems to notice. That's when we start to doubt the greatness of our role in life.
Don't be fooled by the lack of applause. It does matter when you read the same story for the 20th time, when you tuck your children in at night, when you stay up late to finally clean the kitchen, and when you wash that load of laundry for the third time because you keep forgetting to switch it to the dryer.
But more than anything, it matters that you are you. It matters that you love your children. It matters that they love you.
There are a million different ways to live your life, and a million different ways that are "best." You can shake it up however you like: cut back on hours at work, pick up more hours at work, start a new hobby, get a dog, go back to school, take a vacation, get a maid, paint your living room, homeschool, get super passionate about a cause, start a blog, etc. Those are all great things that can certainly matter, but compared to motherhood, they matter less.
Do you love your children? Then you matter! In fact, you are irreplaceable. You are doing a job custom built for you, and for which no one else could ever be as suited. God made a beautiful little soul and gave that soul to you because you are the one created for the task. Are you still questioning if you matter? You matter immensely! Now stop doubting it!
One of those days where you just feel...blah...?
One of those days when you question if what you're doing really matters in the grand scheme of things?
I'm going to assume you do. I think everyone does. No matter how convicted I am on a Monday that I'm using my time on Earth wisely, I sometimes wake up on a Wednesday and totally doubt myself.
I believe fervently that you were created to be you. Created--a Creator designed you; to be you--you have a function. I believe it's true of rocks and trees, of birds and bees, and of you and me. We were created, therefore, we matter.
If you doubt this, I would love to meet you and prove it to you. I don't think you'll need to look very hard to find a reason that you matter.
Right now I would like to address mothers of young children. It is the season I find myself in life, and the function of which I most doubt myself. I wonder if I should be staying home full time, or if I should go back to work. I wonder if I'm teaching my son everything I should be teaching him, or if he's going to be ruined somehow because I've failed him. On my best days I see my son as my ministry and feel fully convicted that staying home with him full time is my true calling. On my worst days I wonder if he is really benefiting from his time spent with me, and if he'd be better off with me going back to work and building him a college fund. I wonder, like a lot of people, if I'm doing what matters most. So I write this to you and to me, mamas, as a reminder of what we know in our hearts to be true.
Whatever you're doing for your children, however you are raising them, what you do matters immensely.
When you are home with your children, that time matters. Whether you plan a day full of activities or struggle to find the time to get everyone dressed and fed, you matter. Every second you spend with your children, you are giving of yourself. In a world full of selfish people, you are showing them how love inspires sacrifice. When you take time to play, you are teaching them that it is good to slow down and enjoy each other. When you provide a meal, you are teaching them not to worry about their physical needs. When you give them a cuddle, you are giving them a safe place to rest. Whether you are busy from sun up to sun down or whether you have a day where you barely move from the couch, you matter. To your children, you matter immensely.
When you are away from your children, that time matters. Whether you work outside the home or need to get away for an hour to do some grocery shopping, you matter. When you leave and come back home, your children learn to trust you, and they learn that they'll be okay even if you aren't around. When your children see you working hard at whatever you're doing, they'll learn to appreciate a strong work ethic. When you leave them in the hands of a trusted caregiver, you are allowing them to shine in a different way, and allowing someone else to delight in them. When you kiss them goodbye when you leave and kiss them hello when you arrive, they'll know they are loved even when you are away. When you have quiet time away from your family, you can regroup, refocus, and refresh yourself to be an even better mom, which matters to your children immensely.
Sometimes in life we do great things where we receive praise from those around us, and we know we are valuable.
Sometimes in life we do great things and no one seems to notice. That's when we start to doubt the greatness of our role in life.
Don't be fooled by the lack of applause. It does matter when you read the same story for the 20th time, when you tuck your children in at night, when you stay up late to finally clean the kitchen, and when you wash that load of laundry for the third time because you keep forgetting to switch it to the dryer.
But more than anything, it matters that you are you. It matters that you love your children. It matters that they love you.
There are a million different ways to live your life, and a million different ways that are "best." You can shake it up however you like: cut back on hours at work, pick up more hours at work, start a new hobby, get a dog, go back to school, take a vacation, get a maid, paint your living room, homeschool, get super passionate about a cause, start a blog, etc. Those are all great things that can certainly matter, but compared to motherhood, they matter less.
Do you love your children? Then you matter! In fact, you are irreplaceable. You are doing a job custom built for you, and for which no one else could ever be as suited. God made a beautiful little soul and gave that soul to you because you are the one created for the task. Are you still questioning if you matter? You matter immensely! Now stop doubting it!