Labor of Love

The sermon at church yesterday was great. It was just what I needed to hear. The topic...Labor of Love. Our pastor brought up 3 questions I need to think about.



1. How do I feel about my work?

2. Is it a labor of love?

3. Do I sense God's pleasure when I'm working?



Because I do not have an out-of-home job that I go to and clock in, my work is my family. So I have been asking myself for the past 24 hours how I feel about it. Well, to answer question #1...I love my 'work'. I wouldn't want to do anything else with my life, ever.



Question #2...I believe being a mommy is a labor of love. It's not easy being a parent. Right now I'm in a place in my parenting where I have a 6 year old who 'knows everything', a 5 year old who THINKS he can do whatever big brother does, a 3 year old who assumes she was made to complete the world and an almost 1 year old who has 4 teeth coming in and has forgotten that I need sleep to function properly. However, in all of this growing up that my children are doing I still strive to put a smile on their faces anytime I can during the day. I sometimes feel like less of a mother when I can't do what they want even if it means they would be 'spoiled' by it. It's not easy correcting my kids. Not they're hard to discipline but that I don't like doing it. But what mother does?



Question #3...There are days when I don't feel God's pleasure AT ALL. It makes my heart hurt to write that out. But if I'm going to be real about all of this then I can't pretend that I don't have days that I'm embarrassed about my behaviour towards my children. What can I say? I'm a work in progress. My desire is to be the kind of mom that my mom was to me. She will say different but I honestly can't remember her ever yelling at me. And I can remember ONE time that she told me to shut-up(and she apologized before she said it). She says she remembers feeling a lot like I do now. And that makes me feel much better. I know there is hope for a great outcome. For me and my kids. Every day I work at being that parent that doesn't raise her voice to her kids. I strive to be a mom with a peaceful, quiet spirit. I want my children to WANT to bring friends home and I want their friends to want to come over. I think God finds pleasure in my willingness to become the best mommy I can be. To learn from my mistakes and take steps forward in bettering myself.

Colossians 3:23,24 says this...Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ Jesus you are serving.

I MUST remember this!!

And lastly...pastor shared a quote that I love and want to share with all you mommy's.

It's not the kind of work you do but how much love you put into it that matters...Mother Theresa

No matter what kind of work you do or how you feel about your parenting, just make it a labor of love and your kids will feel it.