I’m not a mom yet, but I have to admit it looks scary. I wanted to talk about the high calling of motherhood for a couple of reasons. With Mother’s day coming up, and hubby really wanting us to start a family, I just keep coming back to this subject in my mind.
The High Calling of Motherhood:
Being a mom looks scary to me. Not because of stretch marks, wrinkles and grey hairs; I already have a few of those. Not because of the late nights, or no nights; brother number 3 was very colicky and I was his second momma. 🙂 Not because I’m afraid I cannot properly care for a child; besides helping raise my 2 younger bubbies, I’ve worked in a child-care center for years and now work as a nanny.
No, what scares terrifies me about being a mom, is the high calling of motherhood. These little bundles that get sent to us, are not really ours, they are God’s. Our charge is to raise them up for the glory of God. To raise up a generation that will lift up the praise of God.
In this world, that looks hard, very hard. But even worse is the thought “what if I fail?” What if we bring a child into this world and fail to teach it in God’s ways. His word is clear, those who do not call on his name, will not be saved. There is no such thing as God’s grandchildren, each generation must come to him on their own.
This high calling of motherhood is what scares me. I have seen teenagers die, and while only God knows for sure the state of their hearts; from all appearances and the way they were living, they died with-out Christ. How do the parents feel, I wonder?
I was talking to a mom in our church, (she’s probably my moms age) and I mentioned something to her about my fear. I loved what she told me. She prayed for her children before they were even conceived, and and prayed for them, and with them as they got older. Another thing that really stuck out to me is how they prayed for each child’s spouse long before they were of marrying age.
Long before I met him, I prayed for Jason. Why should I not pray, for my yet unborn children and their spouses?
I’m not saying I no longer feel intimidated by the though of being a mother, and to be honest I have some huge trust issues. But at the same time, I am a doer. And just being able to take my fears to the Lord and plead for his guidance even before the children come, helps calm my fears and point my focus towards God, as it should be in the first place.
For you mothers, I pray for you; that the Lord would guide you in bringing up his children. And remember, in God’s eyes, and in the eyes of your little blessings, every-day is Mother’s day! God bless you as you fulfill the high calling of motherhood.
Wonderful, Kendra! What a blessing it is to mother sweet children—and yes, it’s scary too! God gives peace for that though. I’m excited for what’s he’s got in store for your future!
Blessings,
Sarah
Being a mother is often scary but oh so amazing. As long as we continue to pray for them and pray for them often. We may not be able to make their choice of receiving salvation for them but as long as you teach them young by example they will always come back to the truth. I have no doubt you will make a wonderful mother 🙂
Thank you so much Bridget. Please God and I will be the best I can be.
Wow Kendra, you actually helped raise a colicky baby, heck, for that matter, had one in the house you grew up in, and you STILL want children?! And, I bet you think I’m joking. Not!
On a positive note, mostly every evening, as I pass by our daughter’s room, on my way to bed, I pray for her, and her future husband (if God indeed has a future husband in store for her), and also for his parents, that they are saved, and are imparting that wisdom in their teaching of him.
Over the last year, our daughter has been talking a lot about God, and she recently asked if she could take part in Communion. We are room managers, and my husband wasn’t sure how to handle that, since she’s only 5 years old, but our pastor, who our daughter has made a real connection with, asked her if she loved God, and believe Jesus died to save her from her sins, and she said yes, so the pastor said, then there was no reason why she couldn’t participate. So, even though I’m not sure when exactly it happened, only that she has been taught about God since birth, she is a Christian! YES!!! And I have a bad temper, much improved with God’s help, and yet I didin’t manage to screw it up for her, lol! So Kendra, I’m sure you would make a terrific mother, and raise a generation to fear and love God the way you and your husband, Jason do.
By the way, thanks for the Mother’s Day wishes!
Awww. 🙂 Sue, I loved that little kid so much. The first 2 nights of his life I stayed up walking with him most of the night. I wore him in an upright sling so he could sleep, and when I went to make bread, I hung him in the sling on the back of a chair.
He was my bubby! Still is for that matter 🙂 And the younger one as well. (at least he didn’t have belly aches)
We’re a little different, we’ve been actively trying since we got married, but I feel you on the fear and great responsibility of motherhood. Every once in a while it hits me, too. I always pray for our future children, and for us as parents. I pray that we’ll raise them in accord with His will, and that they will have a love for Him in their hearts, and marry people that also love the Lord, and them. It brings me a little more confidence in putting them and us, and our futures into God’s hands…where better for those things to be? Every time I think ‘what if…’ about my future as a mother, I pray about us as parents, and for our future children.
I’m sure you’ll make a fantastic mother! We can only do our best, and pray about the rest.
Prayer is a wonderful thing. And I’m praying that the Lord will bless you and your hubby with a full quiver. 🙂
Awe, thank you =)
Yes, motherhood can be very scary! How to make sure you are not failing them is a very legitimate question! I believe as long as we stay plugged into the church and serving others, and our marriage is strong, the children will do well!
What a very sweet post! I have been praying for my sons’ future wives ever since they were just little guys. My oldest just recently got engaged to a lovely girl. It is kind of cool to think that through her childhood I was praying for her and never knew it was she that I was praying for!
That is one of the things that continually drives you to your knees is praying for their salvation, then praying for them to grow in the faith, then praying for them to continue in the faith. Both my boys are young adults and continue to walk with the Lord (at least, so far!) and I am so thankful for that blessing.
Thanks so much for linking up to the “Making Your Home Sing Monday” linky party today! 🙂
That is wonderful! Now you know who you have been praying for for all those years. 🙂
I know what you mean. I have 6 kids and I am still terrified of motherhood. I know I will not measure up to the calling God has given me. I know that there is something beyond being a mother because it’s a spiritual battle. At the same time, I know that no matter what I do or do not do, God is always in control and in spite of me and my short comings, my kids will learn the lessons they need to learn no matter what. Having 3 adult kids, one is married, the other two both have two kids each. I tried overprotecting them but it didn’t teach them anything. Now with my little ones they are getting to the age of wanting to sleep over friends houses or go to their friends houses to play and I want to overprotect them. For me, control is a big issue. I want to be in control to keep them safe instead of teaching them lessons as things come up. Does this make sense? I’m scared daily and can only pray that things work out as they should. Cause lets face it, I’m a mess!!! 🙂
I know what you mean by feeling overprotective though. And you are not alone in being careful of sleepovers. Too many little girls lose their innocence when the parent is not being actively protective.
Knowing what I do about a couple things, I’m not sure how comfortable I would be with letting my kids (when we have them) go to sleep-overs. I mean, I would really have to know the family for sure!
And you are right, it is such a spiritual battle. I think, that is what I fear the most.
I stumbled upon your blog this morning and have been enjoying reading various posts. This post really struck a chord with me as my husband and I have been discussing starting a family. The whole motherhood responsibility scares me silly! We have definitely been praying about our future children and that they will choose to follow Christ. But, a big part of that decision will be how we live out our lives in front of them. We had an excellent message on Sunday called, “Mom, God First”. It was very very challenging and encouraging, and convicted me to work on my relationship with God more consciously now. I really like your comment about God not having any grandchildren, a good reminder that no matter how badly we want to just ‘sweep’ our children along to Heaven with us, they need to make their own decisions! God bless you as you minister through this blog!
Thank you Jolene, and yes, how we live our lives is so important. We are the first people who will show Jesus to those little ones, and what an awesome responsibility!
This is quite a thoughtful post. And, as a mom of two I have the same worries from time to time. Parenting a child with aspergers syndrome has made me spend a little more time in prayer about mothering and about him having a heart for God.
However, I hope to ease some of your fears. I have a relative who nearly died due to a septic pregnancy. She was unmarried and by all visual appearances she was unsaved. The doctors gave her less than 15 minutes to live as her organs had shut down. Her family prayed. By all accounts, she was dead and forced into a coma for several days. She lived. And, has been able to tell about it.
A few people wrote her off and starting to mourn a young woman who seemed that she would spend an eternity in hell. Like you said, only God knows a person’s heart. The young woman said that she spent time during the forced a coma in the presence of God. And, she says that he doesn’t sound like Morgan Freeman.
What a wonderful story and what a great testimony she now has to share!
LOL about Morgan Freeman 🙂
It scares me, too, motherhood. More now than it did before I became a mother, but then I also think that God placed her in our lives for a reason. He had us in mind when He chose us to be parents to our child(ren) and He will have you guys in mind, when He blesses you with yours.
God has a plan for everything and everyone. I’m sure you already do, but bring your worries before Him and He will answer your prayers. 🙂
Thanks Bibi. You are very right. God has a plan for every thing he does, and sometimes, no matter how scary it looks we have to just trust him.