why I don’t pray (much) for my girls’ future husbands

Now that I’ve exposed myself a bit shockingly, let me soften the blow. I do pray occasionally that my girls be blessed by a happy marriage with a man who is Christ-centered and Bible-loving to the core.

But not very often.

The simple answer why not is two-part: because I have no idea if they will have husbands and because having a husband isn’t the most important thing for them.

I also don’t pray for my daughter’s future children, because I don’t know if she’ll have them.

You may wonder if I’m saying that having a husband is a bad thing? No. Obviously. I’m happily married and grateful to be.

Am I saying I don’t want my girls to get married? No. I would be very pleased if they got married. Do I want them to have children if they’re married? Yes. But, just because marriage and family are the common way God does things doesn’t mean that it will happen for my kids.

What I’m saying is, is that praying for marriage and a spouse isn’t the highest thing I can pray for my girls. What do I communicate about my priorities for them by praying that? That I’m happily married and want the same blessing for them?  Hopefully. That marriage and families are a good design of God to pass the faith onto the next generation? Hopefully. But I also may subtly give them the message that singleness is second best. Or unthinkable, at worst.

I’ve never heard a mother say that she’s praying that her daughter will have a life of happy singleness and single-minded devotion to the Lord. Yet, Paul desires us to be single and says it’s a good thing. Nor have I heard a mother pray that for her son. If I heard a woman doing that, I would think, “I sure hope she’s not disappointed if she ends up as a mother-in-law to some poor girl.”

The Bible is clear that both marriage and singleness are good. Gen 2:18 “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” Eccl. 4:9 “Two are better than one..” 1 Cor. 7:8 “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.” 1 Cor. 7:38 “So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.”

I like this as a summary from Paul on singleness: “I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” 1 Corinthians 7:7

So, what would Paul make of us praying for our children’s future spouses or for them to be married and mothers? Much more than that, how do those prayers fall on the ears of our Lord? Are they the pleasing aroma of moms who love their God so much that all other loves look like hate in comparison? Or, does God hear a perversion of a created order? Has an idol been erected in place of a good gift? Are we asking God for married daughters and godly future spouses because we secretly believe that this is the ULTIMATE thing for them to have. Not Jesus.

Praying for future marriage and motherhood seems so far down the line, when I think of the high things I can pray for my kids, things that are undoubtedly part of God’s revealed moral will. I want them to know GOD! I want them to look on Jesus and see Him clearly, as the Savior, not as a fool or a figment of imaginations! I want them to be KEPT until the final day! I want their lives to be hidden with Christ in God! Marriage and mothering, while good and usual, have no bearing on these things.

Our culture has told us that Love is the great pursuit. Romantic love without boundaries; marriage is unnecessary. Find your Soul Mate and you’ll have found the One True Thing. Christians have tweaked this to make Love in Marriage the idol. And in conservative circles we may tack mothering on as an extension of that. Marriage and mothering become the main goal. They’re not. They flow out of the main goal, which I already have: I belong to Christ, everything else about me is just details. Details that matter practically for my life, but details none the less.

Now, I’ll start with my disclaimers. I’m not saying that marriage is not meaningful. It is a picture of the Gospel. I’m not saying that motherhood isn’t a high calling. Is it ever! And for those who have been blessed with marriage and mothering, we will, for all practical purposes, spend ourselves on these two things for most or all of our life. That’s good and right and we don’t take it lightly. He put us in the role, after all.

I love the mom blogs. I love the inspiration from wives and mothers who are sacrificing themselves for the sake of others. The “others” in a wife and mom’s life is often her family. There is eternal weight and significance in this. We sacrifice for our families because of who we are in Christ, not the other way around.

And singles also pour out themselves for the sake of others. It just isn’t for their husband or kids. It might be their parents, their siblings, their nieces, nephews, their neighbors, or the nations. Both matter. They overlap. They may look practically different, but at the core, if you’re a believer, you’ll be poured out for other people. And filled up. And poured out. And filled up.

We cannot assume that marriage and motherhood are God’s choice for our daughter–even though both will necessarily be more common as ordinances of creation. I will not presume to train them (only) for a career as a stay-home mom. They may not be moms at all. And if singleness is what God has for them I want to be able to look them in the eye without flinching and say, “Praise God. He has dealt kindly with you and I’m so happy you’re single.” And to do the same thing if they marry.

Growing up and attending weddings I heard young women say that their parents had prayed every night for their future husband. The point was: “Look, it worked! Praise God for this happy ending.” Now, I’m not saying that’s wrong. It may even be right. It depends on how the parent’s prayed it and whether the getting of the godly husband was the penultimate or a hope in subject to God’s will.

If you’re going to pray for your girls’ future husband, there should be a lot of “if’s” in there. “Lord, if it’s your will for my daughter to be married, won’t you give her a husband who loves You and is a man of the Book?! And if she’s to be single, won’t You satisfy her with more and more of Yourself for her joy and Your namesake?!”

I’ll end by encouraging myself and you to pray bigger, more immediate things for your girls’ than mainly for the unknown possibility of a future spouse. We have a faithful God. If our children end up married (and many will) and we didn’t spend their preschool years praying for their husband, we can start once they actually have a beau. He will hear those johnny-come-lately prayers. And I think He’ll be honored by the heart that prized Him as greater than all His gifts and ordinances. He is the Great Reward.

Wouldn’t mind some feedback or pushback on this. What do you think?

turning two!

Evangeline Joy turned two on Saturday. Hurray for two year olds!

Here are the top ten things of her past year, according to her mom:

1) Words! Sentences almost! It’s amusing to hear you speak. You can hold your own in a conversation. You say things with conviction. “Mom, look!” “Mom, outside!” “Mom, milk!” And, of course, the ne’er to oft spoke, “Peeeaase.”

2) You can run, but you especially like to gallop. Your Nana says you run but that your feet don’t touch the ground. It’s true, you’re very light on your feet. Speaking of feet, you love wearing other people’s shoes.

3) Swinging, ah, swinging! You follow in Elianna’s path in your love for swinging. You’re particular about how high you go. Come to think of it, you’re particular about a great many things.

4) You enjoy your cousin Johanna. Two weeks her senior, you act like it’s two years sometimes. You seem to enjoy being in charge. You’re also blessed with a few little friends who are less apt to let you take charge of them.

5) You like to sing and dance. You’ve got some mean moves. And your little voice is sweet and pleasant.

6) Your siblings are your best friends and the source of frequent consternation. Li-la (Eliza), La-na (Elianna), and Ses (Seth) meet your every need and are quick to give you what you want if you make a slight request. They are also able to do many things that you think you ought to be able to do, thus the consternation. Like, dressing yourself:

7) You have a ban-kee (blanket). Since you never took a nuk, it’s a bit of a relief for me that you have something that comforts you when you’re taking a nap or going to sleep.

8) Your favorite food is string cheese–at least when ice cream isn’t available. Here’s you with your first ponytail and string cheese. Bonus.

9) You turned a big corner about 8 months ago when you started being very good about going to the nursery at church. Prior to that I thought you might never go, it was so traumatic. But now, by all reports you do well. And you greet me with the biggest grin and excitement when I come to get you.

10) You love your daddy. You and he have a special bond. He delights in you and you in him. You love to call out his name when you wake up in the morning.

Dear Evangeline Joy, I’m so thankful for your life. You have been a gift through and through. Your life has brought such laughter and levity to our days. My prayer for you is that you will have a bond with your Father in heaven that goes deeper than any human bond. That you will seek Him and call His name each morning and that He will answer you out of His great kindness. May you make the name of Jesus known among the nations and the neighborhoods–I pray you would never be ashamed of our great God.

singing Hosanna at home with the least of these

Illness is no respecter of holy days. Vomit does not keep a calendar. If it did, I’d be at church on Palm Sunday, not home with a baby and bodily fluids.

Mommas everywhere know the nagging disappointment of missing church, again, because illness has taken captive a little person’s body under your care. It’s especially tough during the holidays. No watching your other children sing their little hearts out in choir. No hugs with friends with that extra tight squeeze to let  each other know you care. No joyous trumpets announcing the coming King. And no palm branches waving with loud Hosannas praising–Jesus.

The desire to be with the people of God, to worship Jesus among them, to receive the preaching of the Word like a fire hose for my thirsty soul–these are good desires. And God delights to give me these gifts for my good and welfare. They are necessary blessings, which he regularly grants and ordains. But they are not what God planned for my Palm Sunday.

This morning, my sanctuary had laundry strewn about from the previous evening’s emesis, an all too perky Christian radio station blaring, and consisted of myself and one pale-faced, somber, little one. Rather than hearing the sweet voices of the children’s loud, “Hosanna!” the Lord received the praise of a weak-voiced thirty-something, whose Hosanna rang with tears and wet hair and slippers.

Elisabeth Elliot said, “This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.”

Can we mommas, at home with sick children, missing the preaching and fellowship of the body, say, “Amen!” to this? Do we believe that God withholds no good thing from us? That He is working this all out in a way that actually draws us deeper into Him and into greater satisfaction and peace? Do we trust that as we give good things to our sick babies at home because we love them that God the Father is giving us a fish, not a serpent, because He loves us all the more?

In the Sunday mornings at home, the Lord delights to give me bread, not a stone. He feeds me the bread by His Word. He ministers tenderly to my spirit by allowing me to fulfill His commands to the least of these: my sick, small, completely dependent and helpless baby. This child, for whom I would gladly give my life, I am privileged to sacrifice for on these mornings.

The Lord has poured out His wrath on His Son. His Son has sacrificed on my behalf. And it has been granted to me to lovingly care for my children with the strength of love by which Christ endured the cross. That is a powerful love.

So, mommas and daddies, and all those for whom God has ordained a time away from the presence of His people on Sunday or Saturday night, we can take heart in our loving Good Shepherd, who tends to us wherever we are—in our laundry-filled living rooms or rocking little babies, in our slippers or our Sunday clothes.

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will gather them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11

seven layers of delicious complexity

I salivate over seven layer bars.

I became enamored with them in college. They were available almost every single day in the DC (dining center) at Bethel. How spoiled I was. And, oh, how I took those days of dining with choices galore and desserts every meal for granted.

One of the best things about seven layer bars at my house is that no one else likes them. I know, right?! It’s a sweet deal.

The other night Tom and I were talking about our kids and how unique they each are. And how with each one entering our family, we are forced have an opportunity to grow and “expand our skill set,” as Rachel Jankovic says in Loving the Little Years.

Children– well, people (which children are, after all), are complex, layered little beings. Not only is every child completely unique, but their uniqueness changes as they grow! The minute you think you have your child pegged as ‘x’ they start to expand and grow into ‘x’ and ‘q’.

This is why parents (um, me) should refrain from pegging their children too strongly in any sense. This will quickly become pigeon-holing. It’s all well and good to say, “John’s the talkative one and Sally’s the shy one and Bill’s the athletic one and June’s the math whiz,” if it’s true and inescapable. But it may be true only for a short while. And it may not be the whole truth.

It doesn’t serve our children well to give them a permanent assignment of their person. Rather, as a pastor at our church often says, “Commend the commendable in them,” (meaning the things pertaining to godly character). Strengthen their identity in Christ and let the other stuff wax and wane as it will.

Children have this ability to become what we repeatedly say they are. Or to rebel against it. So, if a parent says over and over, “Sally’s the shy one.” Sally will most definitely be the shy one. Perhaps until she goes away to college.

Our children are complex by design. They have been made by their Creator with complexity, layers if you will, and the ability to grow and change . We want to encourage this ability as much as we can. It is training in godliness to give our children the security to go from “the athletic one” to “the athletic book worm.” Someday they will need to go from “the student,” to “the student and teacher.”

Not to mention all the absolute changes that repentance requires. But, that’s starting down a different road.

The bottom line is this: knowing our children means observing when they change and expand, and embracing it with them. Encouraging it in them. Not assigning them who they are at 5 years old, thinking, “Well, I’ve got them figured out,” and repeating it until they’re 15. You may have them figured out at 5–it’s possible and probable in some respects. But don’t assume you do. Keep watching. Keep learning. Keep getting to know the complexity that’s in your child.

It will serve them well. It will make them deeper, richer people. And it will do the same for us parents, as well.

“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8

oil paint ignorance and nostalgia

My grandma was a painter and a farmer’s wife. Her name was Johnnie.

She often painted with oil paints. I have one of her paintings hanging downstairs. It’s of a big red barn and I love it. I tried to take a picture of it, but it doesn’t do it justice.

So, for my daughter’s birthday I got her some oil paints. On Saturday we tried them out. First, aprons all around.

As we squeezed the paints out on the trays, the smells brought me back. I was standing in Grandma Johnnie’s studio: a garage-like building a dozen steps from the main house, chock full of paintings and easels.

She also painted with watercolor. We did too.

There’s a lot I don’t remember about her and her paintings. But still, I was surprised at how much I could recall.

I love the faces kids make when they’re concentrating. I’m certain my kids’ concentrating faces are much more toned down than mine were.

No tongues out in this crew. I don’t know how they get anything done without their mouths open and tongues out. I find it’s the best way to focus.

One thing I do remember about Grandma’s painting was how she painted the whole canvass a base color before she started, sometimes multiple times. I remember thinking how smart that was! I guess I’m easily impressed.

I also remember how she mixed the colors to make new colors. Again, I was in awe.

And, even though I’m just their mom, not Grandma Johnnie, I do think the kids were impressed when I showed them the way they could mix the colors and get a million different shades.

As we started nearing the end of our oil painting adventure (in other words, the baby was stirring from her nap), I contemplated clean-up.

We got the watercolor stuff put away and all the paintings laid out to dry. Everyone was quite clean and there was hardly any mess at all. Just the oil paints needed to be washed out of the brushes and trays. Easy enough.

What a dope I am sometimes. Oil paints, you know, real paints, made from oil. It doesn’t just wash off, you need paint thinner, or, in my case, a whole lot of soap, elbow grease and about 40 minutes, to get it out of the brushes, etc.

So, it may not look like a lot of paint there in the bottom of my (edited to look cleaner than it was) sink, but don’t be fooled, that’s a lot of clean-up right there. That brought back another memory of my Grandma Johnnie. One of her standing at the utility sink in her mud room, cleaning out paint brushes and trays.

I’m thankful for a Saturday afternoon of standing where she stood, cleaning oil paints out of paint brushes, teaching others the little that I know, being messy, and enjoying it all.

party and pops pics

We had a joint birthday party for the two oldest kiddos last week with balloon themed cakes and cake pops.

 The kids were loved and blessed by family and friends and we are all so thankful for time with loved ones and the gifts given and received.Last year, we (that’s the royal “we.” I’ll have to post on that family phenomenon another time) tried cake pops for the first time. It was fun and lived in my memory as easy. Everything seems easy when it’s a year away and finished. Well, I wouldn’t say they were easy this time, but they were fun, albeit tedious and somewhat difficult. But, still worth it.

Do you notice the three children sitting on the counter helping me? They love to be in on the action. Not pictured is the fourth one, who was helping by emptying the cupboards around my feet.

The cakes above are balloon cakes, before they went under the knife and succumbed to frosting. Thankfully the birthday kids agreed that they wanted balloon cakes for their party. Simple and colorful=right up my alley!

One tip if you’re reading here to learn about how to make cake pops: don’t use almond bark as your dipping candy. I had read somewhere that if you didn’t have Candy Melts (found at Michael’s or JoAnn’s or online) you could use white almond bark and add food coloring. And you can, but the results weren’t quite as good as when I used the Candy Melts. Use Candy Melts!!!

The cake pop sticks get stuck in styrofoam to make them stand up. I covered our round styrofoam with tissue paper, for looks.

We added ribbon to the balloon cakes to make them more balloon-ish. The two balloons on the left were Seth’s and the two on the right were Eliza’s.

Cousins and cake on a stick: what could be better?

Thanks Lord, for children worth celebrating!

For more on making cake pops visit Bakerella.

Eight-year-old Eliza

On this day, eight years ago, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Eliza Grace was born. She made me a mama. Her Daddy looked at her and proclaimed her to be “Eliza.” He named her well.

Here are the top ten things of her year 7, as told by her mom:

1) You like science. We joined a co-op this year and the science class is Botany, which is right up your alley. Not only do you enjoy learning about it, you’re great at reiterating what you’ve learned and replicating the projects that you’ve done in class. You’re a good teacher.

2) Hand in hand with your love of science is your continued love of nature and the outdoors, in general. You love to be outside in every season. Exploring, investigating, collecting, observing. Your attention span is endless in the outdoors.

3) Reading and being read to are greatly enjoyed by you. Right now we’re in the Chronicles of Narnia and every night you beg for one more chapter and often read a page or two ahead on your own, until I send you to bed. It’s a blessing to watch you enjoy reading.

4) You really love to sew. You get to sew in the “homeschool room” at church and have come home with some nice creations. You’d like a sewing machine very much, but for the time being have made use of your Nana’s on occasion.

5) Creativity abounds daily with you. This has been the theme since you were very little. You consume paper and art supplies like they were going out of style. Thankfully Mr. Jamison gave us that big box full of blank paper last year. Blank paper is your favorite.

6) You love to give gifts and are thoughtful in your giving. Most of your creativity is employed in the making of gifts and cards for other people. I have been abundantly blessed with your creations and artwork. You try to make the gifts meaningful for the recipient.

7) Any time you can help cook or prepare food is a happy time for you. Your older friend, Mary Jane was kind enough to give you a cooking lesson and make a cookbook for you. Cooking taps into your creative side and you love anything hands-on and messy.

8) You played soccer this summer. I dare say that soccer may not be your “thing.” But you enjoyed it nonetheless and your team ending up winning the whole shebang. I hope you hang in there and go for it again this summer. Swimming is more of a favorite for you.

9) Dance. Oh my, dance. You’ve started dance this past fall and just love it. And boy do you go for it. I’m impressed how you learn the routines quickly and your poise and confidence (nothing like your mom)!

10) You’re in choir and taking piano still. It’s a blast to watch you grow in these areas. I love watching my kids enjoy music, especially when they’re using it to praise the Lord. And you do praise Him, which makes my heart squeeze so tight it hurts, because I am so unspeakably thankful for it.

Eliza, somehow, somewhere along the line you’ve become God’s girl. It’s there in your desires and in your heart and it is a miracle. I want you to know, if you read this someday when you’re older, that it is truly the work of God and nothing else. He saves people, Eliza, by His finished work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. He’s given you the faith to know it and love it. Thank you, God, for Jesus, and for the Spirit, which blows life into dead hearts. Keep her Lord, consecrated forever to you.

Six-year-old Seth

A six-year-old son is what I have. I remember his birth on Martin Luther King Jr Day, six years ago. It was very cold and I was so so so happy to meet him. What a gift.

Here are the top ten things of Seth’s year 5, as told by his mom:

1) Football. Football, football, football. You talk about it, dream about it, watch it, give play-by-plays. You’ve started a football card collection. You even got to trade cards with some friends. You have declared that you will be a football player when you grow up. A Defensive End, like Jared Allen. Way to dream big, in the literal size sense!

2) Numbers. You love numbers. The time, the temperature, the score, the speed limit (bummer). Also, you just like to talk about numbers and add, subtract, and multiply whatever pops into your head. You’re a clock watcher like me and I’m sorry for that.

3) You like to be on the go, out and about. You really don’t like being bored. (I try not to allow the word “bored” into our vocab, but alas.) You really enjoy people and places (North Shore pic below). You also love having people over to our house. You pounce on any chance to play with cousins and friends.

4) You played soccer this summer. You had fun, were a good sport, showed some competitive spirit, made some friends and were a blast to watch. Hopefully a repeat will be in order this summer. You also like swimming and broomball on our pond. You’ve been practicing some football moves as well.

5) You’re a baby magnet. Oh how you love little babies. Evangeline is your favorite, of course (although she’s a bit beyond baby status).

6) You’re taking Kindergarten in stride. You are a motivated worker, plowing through your work and usually enjoying it. It’s a joy to watch you read and learn.

7) You are a reliable kid when it comes to chores. Although you aren’t always complaint-free, (wow, another similarity to your mom!) you are helpful and dutiful in your tasks and I really really appreciate it. Thanks, buddy!

8) You sing in the kids’ choir at church. You like it and I love it. Nothing better than kids and music! You especially liked the Baba Yetu song from our church’s big celebration. That song was belted out in our car more times than I can count.

9) You’re getting to be a good story teller. You’re often talkative and like to recount the details of the day, in a play-by-play sort of way. For having three sisters, you seem to have mastered getting your voice heard. Although, getting you to talk about how you’re feeling is a little trickier.

10) You’re intrigued by maps. There’s a map of the world on the wall in your room and most nights before bed you name all the countries that you can remember. You tell me what you know about them: if they have enough food, if they have Bibles, if it’s hot or cold.

My dear Seth, I love how God made you. Your mind is always working on something. I pray that as you grow, your mind and your heart will work together for the cause of Christ. I hope that you will experience such love from God, such forgiveness at the cross of Jesus that you will passionately and sacrificially give your life to loving and serving others.

Oh how He loves you, Seth!

our favorite four-year-old

A little over a week ago, our Elianna turned 4. She’s excited to be so. We celebrated accordingly.

We love her dearly and so, without further ado, here are the top 10 things of Elianna’s year 3, written to her, from her momma.

1) You have a zest for life by way of rising early and staying up late! You wake up hungry for breakfast and hungry for life to start. Speaking of breakfast, you often eat two: breakfast and second breakfast. You’re our little hobbit, minus the large hairy feet.

2) You’ve taken a special love for dancing this year. You dance around the house. You dance around the yard. You dance into the car. You have tutus galore.

3) You make life a musical production. Sometimes you’ll start the day off by singing everything instead of talking. So you’ll ask for your breakfast with great lyrical phrasing. I like living in a musical. The best is when you use your little vibrato. Very sweet.

4) You are making sure you’re in on school this year. You have a workbook that you’ve been delving into along with some other activities. It’s enjoyable watching you learn.

5) You are working on being brave. This summer you have advanced in swimming feats like going off the diving board and down the slide. Sometimes your Nana gives you “bravery gum” if you conquer something particularly difficult.

6) You’ve grown into the big sister role very much this past year. You really love your little sister and have taken on the responsibility of being an older sibling very well. Of course you’ll always be a younger sibling too. And you seem to have that down pat.

7) You’re quite possibly the most affectionate child ever. Hugs, kisses, and cuddles, oh my! I hope you always give hugs to me as freely as you do now.

8) You like people. You like having friendships and you like being out and about. You can be shy or embarrassed but it doesn’t last long. You can’t wait for Sunday school to start back up in the fall.

9) You love to be read to. Often I’m reading books out loud that are a bit too old for you in terms of typical 3 year-old fare–books for Eliza that you and Seth end up listening in on. You do well with them, but you truly love when we sit down and read a book of your choice. One with lots of great pictures.

10) You have a distinct personality, Elianna, and I greatly enjoy how God has made you. I love how you’re willing to laugh at everyone’s jokes. I love how you fit in our family.  Your heart seems soft towards the Lord and compassionate towards others and I am praying that would increase as you grow.

May Jesus be the true Treasure of your life. May you overflow with joy in Him and find all God’s promises to be yes in Christ Jesus. He died for you, He loves you so. And I love a million, baby girl.

adventures in the little things

How do you keep the main thing the main thing, when the main thing is a million little things?

That’s what mothering is. It’s having a heart for the million little things in a day. Especially the little things known as children.

Things like a daughter wanting to create a doll out of my swiffer duster. She calls it the dusting dolly.

Or, things like creative snack times, that let my kids know I’m about more than just getting the food in their stomach and off my to-do list. I have time to delight with them in apple smiles.

Or, little things like agreeing to take a picture of the kids’ food art after dinner.

Or, little things like laughing at Evangeline’s blue crayon debacle of 2011. Boy was that fun on the other end.

It isn’t about catering to our children’s every whim of want. But it is delighting in the direction and duties of the day.

Rachel Jankovic has another wonderful article at Desiring God. Here’s a taste:

“Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”

How I need these reminders. Lord, give me the strength to love my children with Gospel sacrifice in the little things.