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Dear mom, are you weary? Tired of fighting the battle of the wills and cleaning up after your people? Do your days seem an endless myriad of hours strung together, full of child discipline and relentless, mundane tasks?
I’ve arrived at the other side of rearing and I’m here to tell you: there is a priceless reward for a mother’s perseverance.
I ran across a quote the other day that struck me afresh with the fact that anything in this life of real value is not easily attained.
When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees. ~Joseph Joubert
If you want to be a concert pianist, you must start young and practice a lifetime of hours.
If you want to possess a beautiful rose garden, you must cultivate, tend, and protect, day-in, day-out.
And if you want to grow children who love you back, love others, and love God, you must pour your heart and soul into them.
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One of my middles is graduating college. She used to write on walls with red ink, talk incessantly, and play with only musical toys.
I had to get a game plan and find something for this kid to do besides demolish my walls and drive us all nuts with Humpty Dumpty on her toy piano.
When she turned five, I bought a miniature violin and secured a teacher.
And then, the screeching began.
Have you ever?!?
Truly, there must be a special crown in heaven for the mother of a budding violinist.
But months turned into years, and the screeching transitioned into melody. The artist bloomed, and suddenly…
…the little fat-cheeked toddler with Heat Miser hair and Flinstone feet turned into a self-assured, lovely, eloquent young lady who loves God with all her heart.
It’s been weeks since she and I have had a chance to really talk. She’s up to her eyeballs in last-minute senior year details.
She sent me a text:
I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU MARM
(She calls me “Marm” as in “Marmee” from Little Women.)
My response:
YOU’RE ALIVE
She responded, “Just a few more assignments and I’m done for the semester!”
I told her I was praying for her every day.
Do you know what she said?
Awww I love you too and you are the best ever!!! I know you are praying because I go throughout my day and get little bursts of joy from God!
{Insert crying emojis}
It wasn’t easy. All that chattering, red ink, and screeching. Running to lessons every week and making her practice when she didn’t want to (also not letting her quit).
And yet, today was one of those days I spent wishing her back to age 3 again, sitting beside me in night church (having graduated from the nursery) and pestering the life out of me.
She’d get up on her knees in the chair beside me, grab my face, and plant a giant kiss right on my cheek.
{More crying emojis}
How I wish for those days back. With all that is in me – wish.them.back.
But since that cannot be, I will look at the honey. It’s sweet, abundant, and fully matured.
Because I persevered through the bees.
Moms, I know your littles are driving you bonkers. I know they’re getting on your ever livin’ nerves.
But what you are doing matters. It matters so much that you will get stung because you’re investing.
Hang in there. Do the hard. Fight the fight. Correct the wrongs, love the owees, and read the bedtime stories (even though your bed is calling).
Pray. Above all, pray always, at all times, and pray Scripture, even in the middle of your laundry pile.
And keep your eye on that honey.
And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. ~Galatians 6:9
*If you are wondering how to do this hard job a little better, try our free 5-day Yell-Free Blueprint. 5 days of simple tasks to start you on the path to yell-free freedom. Sign up below!
Featured post from last week’s Link up!
*NOTE: Be sure to click the link to read the rest of this sweet post!
Karen’s blog, Switchbacks, is a wonderful testimony to the paths God leads us on in order to bring us to maturity in Christ. It’s actually based on the theory of the switchbacks used to climb a mountain. “Switchbacks are a series of zig-zag trails that “switch” back and forth up the side of a steep mountain. They increase the distance, but reduce the amount of effort required to reach the peak, thereby making a difficult or dangerous climb manageable.” If you haven’t checked out her blog, I’d encourage you to go to her “What are Switchbacks” section and check out the picture! I’ve heard of switchbacks and watched drivers in Alaska on tv navigate them, but this picture really brings the idea home!
In her post, Hunted, Karen sets the stage with a story about a woman who owned a python and gave it free range in her home, even allowing it to sleep in the same room with her.
One day, she noticed that her pet had stopped eating, consistently refusing its favorite meals. Concern for its health, she loaded the snake into her car and took it to a vet who specialized in exotic animals to see if someone could determine what was wrong with her python. After hearing the owner describe its symptoms and giving the snake a quick check-up, the doctor advised her to euthanize it immediately since this was perfectly normal behavior…. for a constrictor that was preparing itself for a large meal! Yikes!! The reality was that the snake was planning to eat its owner! (or at least TRY.)
Karen’s point? “This creepy account carries a powerful message for believers who have invited sin into their lives thinking that they can safely cohabit with it indefinitely. Click here to read more of her powerful post and be ready to do some soul-searching! We all need this regularly in our lives.
~Karen from Switchbacks, Hunted
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“Dear mom, are you weary? Tired of fighting the battle of the wills and cleaning up after your people? Do your days seem an endless myriad of hours strung together, full of child discipline and relentless, mundane tasks?” Um yes. To all. Wow, did I need this today, Ruthie! Thank you! Also, regarding “have you ever?” And the screeching violin? I want a piece of that reward pie–for mothers of budding clarinetists. Because “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore” was never a great song, and when you’ve heard it a hundred times on a squeaking clarinet, it becomes, shall we say, an anthem for madness. But like you, we eventually heard a lovely melody. 🙂 Bless you, mama!
Yeah…probably dumb questions, huh?! LOL. I used to play clarinet and ACK – even I couldn’t stand it as a 5th grader so I can just imagine how my parents felt! Screeching, squeaking, squawking – it’s all nerve racking. “Anthem for madness” LOLOL!! Here’s to the “Special Screech Mama Medal” in heaven someday!
Thanks so much for stopping by, friend, I love your heart. 🙂
I’m gonna pass on reading the story about the snake, that picture creeps me out, lol. There are many things I can handle, but snakes are not among them.
Congratulations on middle girl. It’s quite amazing to see what God does with our darlings isn’t it? I love that last text she sent 🙂 My oldest son is a violinist. Hubby took lessons for a year, but is tone deaf…he was worse to listen too. Son would tease him and come out wearing ear muffs when Shane was practicing.
Have a great day!
Bahaha – yeah, the snake story is creepy but oh, what truth.
So GOOD to hear from you, friend! I miss our October 31 day banter. But sheesh, no way could we do that every month of the year!!
You have a musical family too and I already knew you had an affinity from your posts about the famous Nashville guy. How’s the book coming, btw? Remember me when you’re famous, ok? Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Oh Ruthie… I just love this. It reminds me that I’m in a season right now and that there’s hope for the future of a loving, deep relationship with my children. Sometimes I can’t see past the red ink on the walls… yes, my youngest does that – all the time!
Thank you so much for sharing and encouraging!
xoxo
Hahaha so you can relate! Yep, they can surely try you, but oh, how your heart squeezes when you realize you can never get those early years back. They’re still hard, no doubt. But oh, so sweet at the same time! Praying for you, gal! Thanks for dropping by. ❤️
Oh Ruthie! I just want to Mom like you do. That’s all.
Stefani, that is such a humbling statement! I’ve always wanted to be a mom, really that was my highest goal in life (even above being a concert pianist), and I really enjoyed (and still enjoy) that rich, fulfilling role.
And I find that moms who truly desire Christ as head of their lives and also truly desire to rear their children the best way they can with God’s help – never putting other ministries ahead of their families, win their children’s hearts most of the time. You are on the right track, gal! Keep following hard after God!