A few things have been on my mind lately and I just wanted
to share.
First I wonder if we
as a society (worldly and Christian) realize how we have put such an importance
on motherly instincts to the point that we have distanced precious women that
have not giving physical birth. Shame on
us! Let me right now apologize for those times I have done this. I want to put a stop to this myth that only if you have giving birth do you
have these instincts! They (instincts) are truly a gift from God not just because I have
carried a child for 9 months or so! I can testify to it! We all are going to
scratch our head to why a baby is crying or why our older child is lying, but there
are those times that I do KNOW why! When it happens I believe it is not this
magical instinct, but a true gift from God. It happens with my birth children
and my adopted children. In fact I have experienced it even more profound with
my adopted children which on some days just blow me away! So if a mom (birth or
adopted) ask you not to hold or feed her baby, to allow her to only comfort her
little one, or not to let her child lead the line in Sunday School realize that
God has given her the responsibility to raise that child and “instinct” to know
how to do it right! Don’t lean over and say after I just corrected my son for a
sin and tell him it is ok we all make mistakes! I am the mom not you! You may
scratch your head as to why, but it really isn’t your right to even ask why.
Just give God the glory that our God has gifted this mom and not YOU for this
particular child!!!
Second how would you define yourself? As a mom (I just
defined myself) I wonder how my kids would answer. I know they would answer
differently during the changes in their life, but my point is there are many
things I do not want them to define themselves and one that I want them to
always to do. I am a follower of the Most High God! Yes I am a mom, wife,
sister, and daughter, but I want to be known as a person who is like my Savior.
I also desire with all my heart that my children do too!
I think about how the
world wants to define my kids. I get looks for many labels/defining that people
put on us like homeschool and big family. Homeschooling can have a VERY
negative response in some circles and positive in some others. With my three
oldest I have almost always heard great things about them. One day I heard a
very negative thing about my oldest. Mother bear wanted to come out because it
was not said in love to me, but God did a work in my and her heart that day. We
set out to make sure that if this accusation/defining had some truth in it. I wanted
come alongside her and help her grow in that area. It ended up being untruth.
You know it got me thinking about the world’s perspective on
adopted children. There biggest reaction is underlining in how the person talks
and treats my adopted child. If they have been around and know that we adopted
them from foster care they assume they were abused. They treat them like a
VICTIM (Oh, you poor child syndrome)! NO! they are not! Let me use the example
of our Father in Heaven who rescued us by adoption…we are no longer in bondage
with Satan! Romans 6:11, “So you also
must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans
6:14, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law, but
under grace.” Neither are these kids in bondage to being victims. As
Christians we want to (Lord please forgive us!) go back to our old master and
so do these kids want to relish in the old feelings of what they think is
control and also self-pity. My job as mom is to teach them how to change old
behaviors, heal from the past, to count blessing, and look to see where God is
working in their life. Some of those ways seem weird to others. My children
will not be victims, but victors over the past. We look forward and count our
blessings. I do not want my children to be defined as a lost sinner or as a
victim. I want them to be a Child of the King and victorious in this life.
Third I have gotten a lot of questions and comments about my
weight loss. Many of the questions are how I lost about 57 pounds. Just so you know if you find them I do not want them back! It is easy for me to answer
Weight Watchers, but that is only the tool God has used for His glory. Today I
went to go to my weigh in. I only have a few more pounds to get to the top of
the range for my weight goal. I was praying and again giving back to God what
He has done when it hit me all the things I have gone through in this past year
with the weight loss. I started to just cry out to Him and give Him the glory.
This process started when I realized I struggled with self-control in my eating.
I want to be woman that can control myself and be that example for my kids! God
has done some amazing work by teaching my how to control and change habits and
have endurance. This endurance comes from reliance on Him when the desire for
weight loss at times does not come. The physical changes are wonderful: much
smaller clothes, more energy, some medical issues gone, and just feeling
better. However, I treasure the closer relationship with my Heavenly Father
much more. Yes the physical changes are great, but they are just a bonus to the
spiritual changes that have been going on.
Thank you, my God, for an amazing husband to love me no matter what I
look like and most importantly for your unfailing love and strength through all
this past year’s journey.
