More Motherly

Gathering At the Well



Today's Gathering At the Well discussion is about mothering and the transformation to "Motherly." Be sure to check out At the Well for more thoughts on that transformation as well as responses to the discussion questions--I'm just looking at one aspect.

The discussion questions are:

Are there areas of hardness and coldness in my life? What are the roots of these? Do I need to release someone who has hurt me in my past? Do I need to confess and release myself from the bondage of sinful patterns in my own life?

What are some ways that I can turn the conversation around when other women begin to gripe and complain about their children?

Name some creative ways we can create warmer, more inviting environments for our children.


The thing that I struggle with the most in mothering is the juggling. Sure, I'm a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, and although that sounds ideal on the surface, there's much involved—as so many of you know because you're doing the same thing.

There are things I want to do, the things I feel God has led me to do and I need to weave them into my family life. That weaving is not the easiest thing for me. I'm one who can successfully focus on one thing and manage 2-3 things if I'm really focused on not focusing on just one thing--LoL—but beyond that I'm lost. It's far too easy for me to bury my head in the computer, the keyboard, and forget the world around me. This is NOT what God wants of me!

God has given me children and I'm to be raising them, not just housing them, as Sherry pointed out. He's also given me words to write, and I'm to be writing them. But I struggle with not being distracted when I'm with the kids. Are there roots to this? Yes, I think so. For me, it's selfishness. I want to write. I love writing. There are many times I catch myself thinking of the kids as interruptions to my writing, but that's not how it is, and I need to change my thinking there.

By calling it what it is (selfishness), I'm able to see it for what it is (sin) and confess it and move on. My kids need a mom who is there for them mentally and emotionally, not just physically. They understand and support my writing, so it's not like I have to chose between my kids and my writing. I just have to chose between doing things God's way or my way. Sheesh, putting it that way makes it a no-brainer. It's got to be doing what God has called me to and doing it God's way. Any other way will lead to disaster.

For me, the transformation to 'motherly' is a matter of more of God and less of me.

6 comments:

  1. Excellent thoughts - and I am SO with you (both in seeing kids as distractions AND knowing I need to follow God's way). Yes - more of God, and less of me! Wonderful.

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  2. Patty....
    I hear your heart...I related it to juggling too!! (great homeschooling minds think alike:))

    "God has given me children and I'm to be raising them, not just housing them"
    that's the line for the day.

    "Any other way will lead to disaster." yeah it will....balancing it too! Knowing what comes first begins with God...THEN prioritizing it the way I need to keeps it all in balance...weeding out the distractions..

    great thoughts Patty!

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  3. Oh Patty, I can identify! I don't home school (my daughter is 3), but can understand the juggling and the selfishness (I desire to write too).

    Thank you for sharing your heart!

    Love,
    Beth

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  4. OH WOW!!! There is a support group for me. Thanks Patty! lol

    smooches,
    Larie

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  5. Oh, I can so relate! I know there's too much coldness in me, and I hate it. May the Lord give us more of His holy fire, and may its warmth bring cheer and love to our families!

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  6. It's so hard not to have moments of "zoning out" and not actually be in the moment with my son--during home school or even at the dinner table. As I see these mom days drawing closer and closer to an end, I realize how precious these years are and have been. What a blessing and a gift God gave me in Joseph! May I always be aware and available to him.

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