BEFORE I WAS A MOM
Before I was a Mom;
I made and ate hot meals,
I had unstained clothing,
I brushed my hair every day,
I had quiet conversations on the phone,
I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.
Before I was a Mom;
I cleaned my house each day,
I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or
pinched by tiny fingers.
Before I was a Mom;
I never thought about immunizations,
I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,
I never looked into teary eyes and cried,
I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
Before I was a Mom;
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,
I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,
I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
Before I was a Mom;
I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,
I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so
important,
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.
Before I was a Mom;
I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,
I never knew that I could love someone so much,
I never knew I would love being a Mom,
I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.
Anonymous
How Important Are Your Children?
While waiting for me in the truck last week, Alicia (my wife) overheard the conversation between four little girls and a little
boy. They were all probably about six to eight years old. She heard these girls talking about who their boyfriends were,
and then they started talking about who wanted to have sex with whom. Too often in our society we see children who curse,
use drugs, and are sexually active. I am not yet a parent and I do not claim to be an expert on parenting. However, I do
know that when there are six and seven year old children talking about whom they want to have sex with, then someone is not
doing their job. Someone has not taken seriously the responsibility laid on them when they became a parent. Paul said, "And
you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians
6:4). All over this world children are born into families who will not teach them the ways of God. My hope and prayer is
that this is not the case for the Lord's church. However, it is true that to often those members of the Lord's body who are
parents do not take the time or effort to bring their children up "in the training and admonition of the Lord." It seems
that many parents are more concerned about where their children will spend their college years than where their children will
spend their eternity. When fathers go to work from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. then watch television till they go to bed, where
do we expect the children to learn their values, morals, and religion? If we leave the teaching up to friends, school teachers,
and television then there is no telling what kind of morals our children will have, but this is almost certain, it will not
be good. It is time for parents everywhere to take the responsibility given to them, and start being a parent. Children
are a far too precious commodity to allow them to be lost because we are not willing to step up to the challenge. Solomon
said "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). Parents need
to be willing to do whatever it takes to see to it that they train their children in the way of the Lord. It will take time,
money, and effort but when those children stand before God on the Day of Judgment as pure and holy, it will be well worth
it. Most parents will say "I would give my life for my children," the question is, will you change your life for your children?
Garrett Bookout
via Daily Bread newsletter
Children
Maybe you've heard the story about the school teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his snow
boots. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots just didn't want to go on. Finally, after much struggling,
she got both boots on only to hear the little boy say, "They're on the wrong feet."
She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on but she
managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots on the right feet.
He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than scream, "Why didn't you say so?" Once again,
she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet.
No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em." Now she didn't
know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots."
- (Biblical Parenting)
(Psalm 127:3,5) "Behold, children are a heritage from the LordHappy is the man who has his quiver full of them"
Steve Higginbotham
from
MercEmail Devotional
