What's a Mother to Do--Valentine's Day

What's a Mother to Do?

During Christmas vacation I happened to watch a little daytime television one day (gasp!), which is something new for me. I'm not even sure why I did it. I started watching this program that had a doctor as host, and the guests were an unhappy married couple. The mom had several small children at home, and the dad constantly criticized her housekeeping.

After watching this sad drivel for awhile, and wondering why in the world anyone would want their own personal business paraded on national t.v., I turned it off out of embarrassment. But it started me thinking. What's a mother to do?

Later, my husband borrowed a movie, the Incredibles (see http://www.theincredibles.com ), from the library. The movie itself wasn't relevant to this topic, but on the bonus disk, we got to see the discarded vignette of the movie heroine defending motherhood as a much harder and more important job than saving the world.

Cool stuff, and nice that they included it in the bonus disk, even if it wasn't kept in the flick. (If you haven't checked out the bonus stuff on the Incredibles DVD, you might also enjoy a cute cartoon extra called "Boundin," that features a wise jackolope and a pitiful lamb.)

So, what does it really mean to be a homemaker and mother? Certainly the world's idea of striving for the most perfectly clean home with gourmet dinners every night is a hollow goal. What's really important?

What is a mother to do?

Anyone who looks at marriage and parenthood from the world's standards will have a hard time "getting" God's plan. The Bible depicts a wife and mother as "a help-meet," a companion, a keeper at home, an equal heir to the promises of God, a teacher of her children, and in Proverbs 31, a talented craftsperson and savvy businesswoman. These may look like contradictions, on the surface, but they are not. Yes, a mother takes care of the needs of her family, but oh, so much more than "just" a housewife!

God has created women and men with obvious differences, yet they are complementary in nature. No woman can be the perfect Proverbs 31 wife, as the Bible says "An excellent wife, who can find?" Each man and woman has their own individual talents and gifts; no one will be equally talented in every area. I have close friends who are talented in cooking and sewing, while I have little talent or interests in those areas. Through the help of the Lord, and my family, I've been able to use God-given gifts in language arts. We don't eat fancy, but my family doesn't starve.

What's a mother to do?

I read what is clear in God's Word:
"Seek first the kingdom of God," and whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord...with His help I am:

Writing books and blogs
Wiping up spilled messes
Grading tests
Dealing with sibling squabbles
Disguising leftovers
Allowing natural consequences
Asking "Why did you do this?"
Doing the laundry
Dealing with insurance companies
Helping my little one make Valentines
Getting ready to go out on a date with my husband--my teens are babysitting!

Wheeee....What are you doing today?