Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Motherhood

Recently at our church I over heard a new mother speak some words which made my mind spin. I was not a part of this conversation but simply one of the women standing by a group talking. This comment was made by a new mother. Well, not really a brand new mother, she had just had her second baby in the last four weeks. Her words were spoken, after the baptism, of her second child. After the service many people were gathered around to see this new little babe and to congratulate the parents. Her older son is about 3 years old and was acting out a little. It can only be expected because he is not getting the attention plus he just had to sit for an whole hour. The mother than said, "You know, he is really bad. I had know idea what he was like but now that I have been home for a few weeks with him, I have realized how bad he is. "
This mother does not even know her child. She works and probably carts him off to day care every day and then picks him up a few hours before his bed time. How utterly sad I found her statement to be. To not even know your own child that had been given to you by God. Our Heavenly Father has given us these children to raise for Him, and some of us do not know our children. We only have 18 years to make an impression on these little people. We only have a few short years where we can hold and kiss them. We can not cuddle an 8 yr. old like we can a wee baby. When our children our 30, we can go back and relive those precious years of their childhood. We only get the chance to see it once. We only get a chance to kiss a scraped knee so many times before they are big enough to handle the pain. We only have one shot at being a parent. We only have one lifetime to know our children.
I am brave enough to to stay home with my children. I am brave enough to have them not like me when they must be punished. I am brave enough to love them until my heart breaks. God also loves us so much that his heart was broken once. He sacrificed His own Son to pay for all of our sins. His Son Jesus paid for all of the times that we do not love our children, for the times when we do not want to know them, for all of the times that we do not want to do our jobs. All of these sins were paid for with Jesus blood on the cross. Not only the sins I mentioned but every sin ever committed upon this earth that God made. Deo Gratias Thanks Be To God.

5 comments:

Marie N. said...

I cringe whenever I hear a parent say their child is bad. It is heartbreaking for the reasons you point out.

I cannot imagine hearing my mother say that about me from the time I'm able to understand the words. What influence must it have on the mind of a child to know that this is what his mother says about him to her friends and acquaintances.

RPW said...

That is really sad.

I know a mom who paid $15,000 to be able to have a baby with her new boyfriend (her 3rd child in 5 years...each with different fathers). The plan is to go back to the former routine where she works for 12-13 hours per day, picks her kids up, and gets them ready for bed. My heart broke for those children, and I had a very hard time containing my rage at this mother.

It's not like she even had a job discovering the cure for cancer or anything!!! It really was rather menial, yet she looked down on my "job."

It is a sad time to be a child.

God bless you for being one of the brave, instead of someone who can't be bothered to get to know and shape your children.

Caroline said...

Perhaps if she had more to do with his upbringing, he would behave more like she wanted him to...very sad story.

Barb the Evil Genius said...

That is very sad. I can't understand mothers not *wanting* to be at home with their children.

Presbytera said...

Lord have mercy.