"Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend."
Jesus, who laid down his life.
Yesterday, I received a note from a sweet friend of mine who lives far away on the east coast (and how I miss her.) She is an excellent mom, a spiritually mature woman, growing in the Lord, and has a heart to focus on His love and grace.
She said, "I was not feeling like an excellent woman today. I have been battling severe sickness with all of my family this week, actually over a week, which caused me to have to cancel a weekend alone with my husband for a much-needed getaway. I was ill with this stomach bug for the last two days, and then last night my dear husband and I had a very rare argument, that was devastating, and shortly after my 6 year old began throwing up all night and I (unsuccessfully) slept on her floor, as she was up every 30 minutes to an hour, so this morning my husband had to leave very early on the business trip he had to attend, very sadly on "our" trip, without me, alone, and me with 3 more ill children throwing up as he walked out the door. I really try not to let "stuff" get to me and am usually trying to focus on the Lord, but this morning I was sad, angry, sleep-deprived and not feeling like such a great woman."
Truth be told, most of our life is invisible--this noble cause we embrace is often fraught with challenges, exhaustion, relentless repetition, spiritual challenge— yet this is the very place of our worship. This is the place faith is being forged and character is being modeled and love is going deep into the heart and mind of your children. This is why I champion the cause of motherhood. What you are doing matters so much. And most of all, Jesus, who sacrificed his time, emotions, and ultimately body and freedom, sees you and is so very pleased and cheers you on from the heavenly realm. You are a big deal to your precious ones. We are a picture of God's sacrificial love to the brains, souls, and hearts of those He entrusts into our hands.
God has empowered us to make the imprint that will determine what the next generation will become. It is our choice if we decide to embrace this very challenging role with grace, faith, and the giving of our lives or if we resent it, develop anger, and pass on rejection to our children.
I was not taught or trained to understand the sacrifice this role would require of me. In one of the most significant roles God created that would indeed determine the very outcome and moral character and faith of the next generation, most of us have not been instructed, supported, or inspired. Is there a place in our current culture that might truly appreciate this sacrifice and validate the spending of our lives for this eternal purpose?
No one said to me, "Yea, Sally, you chose to be patient with one more ear infection and sleepless night! Congratulations, you are the queen of mentally challenged children with OCD and asthma and learning issues and of course, all four are sinful and fuss and make messes and want to eat and wear relatively clean clothes every day! Congratulations, you are so very patient with those hormonal teenagers, you just waited for your toddler to get over his tantrum and you handled it patiently--you a hero!"
One of the strengths and profound work of a woman, as I have said many times before, is to bring civility and order out of chaos and to bring beauty, intelligence, excellence in subduing her kingdom of home into a life-giving haven.
And so, my home and all the little choices of each day became my sanctuary of worship, my sacrifice of praise. Bringing light into the potentially dark corners of my life, singing and dancing and celebrating God's reality into the mundane world of dishes, the late nights of Winnie the Pooh cartoons and ear infections, and the hot steamy showers, sweat and hollow exhaustion where my children felt the comfort and grace of His touch through me.
Yes, it is indeed the glory of a woman when she chooses to love and embrace her precious child as a gift and a work straight from the hands of God.