With Great Honor

For over 20 years I have stayed at home all the while raising four children and on occasion I managed to work several temporary part-time jobs. I have worked full-time without children, worked part-time jobs with children, worked full-time jobs with children and just worked full-time raising children. My hardest job by far in my career was the over simplified title of "the stay at home" mom. There were days that my home became just 4 walls, the laughter was noise and the only thing that helped me through the end of the day was when my husband returned home from work. As romantic as it may sound that I waited all day to see him, it wasn't him that I actually wanted to see. I wanted to quickly go outside and walk. I wanted to see outside the walls of my home, I wanted to hear the birds chirp and I did not want anyone including my husband to call out my name. Just by one member of my family calling out my name usually was landed with a question which demanded some kind of answer or there was a chore or assistance needed by being connected to that word called mom."


There were times I wanted to change my name. I sometimes would dream of different names. I know that being called a mother is an honor and being a mother is a blessing, but there were those days.... On occasion I would think up names that were hard to pronounce or spell like, "agathalamatha" or "googalapusch" or pretend I didn't hear my own children saying mommy because that was not who I wanted to be at that moment in time. It didn't work. Here I am today, 22 years later still responding to the name "mom" and loving every moment of it.


Being a mother is a humbling experience and can often times be a lonely job. It is a vocation of pure love and servitude. As I reflect back on moments of the past and present in serving my husband and children I can't say it was always or is easy. It takes a fine art to have dinner ready for a hungry family, or making breakfast for them when they are half asleep, getting back packs and homework ready for school, ironing work clothes, cleaning house, picking up toys, cleaning up vomit, changing dirty diapers, managing everyones' social calender, finances, and the like and the list could and will go on forever. It is a fond reminder of serving those that you love and loving those that you serve. It is a reminder that God is part of us all and in serving them we are serving Him. I keep this very close to my heart.


I want my children to know how to serve with happiness.


Serving with happiness.


Feeling unappreciated.


Sometimes these two sentences go hand in hand and when and if they do, we begin to start the cycle of serving out of obligation not out of love. We forget to smile. Running out of the house once my husband returned home from work was sometimes my only moment of the day to breath. That breath of fresh air enabled me to begin again. I poured out many tears to the one above asking for direction, guidance, wisdom and strength in raising my children and keeping them on the right path. Yep, you guessed it, some have strayed, but prayer brought them back.


Two weeks ago my children were asked by our neighbors to care for their homes, dogs and yard as they went on vacation for two weeks. One family went to Hawaii, the other family to visit relatives and friends in several different states. My daughter watched one home and my son watched the other with a little assistance from mom and dad. It was interesting to watch them serve with love. They felt honored that both families asked them to care for their most precious belongings, animals and home. It was a small lesson of servitude. My son every morning would let the dogs out, feed them and love them and then return at noon and evening. Sometimes he would go and take a movie and watch it while the dogs laid on him so they would not feel so lonely. My daughter took care of our neighbors fish and cat, check the mail and stayed there for two weeks to make the home look lived in during their absence.



My daughter received independence for a couple of weeks, my son enjoyed a good movie without interruptions and felt loved by three lonely dogs. It took time, it took love.



1Corinthians 12: 5-7 There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.


It is not only the time that my children spent helping our neighbors, but they received many personal lessons in return. They learned to manage their time and handling their home with loving care. An example of neighborly service is when Abraham serves strangers. Abraham is pretty special, though.


Genesis 18: 1-5 ... As Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day, he looked up and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground, he said, "Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to serve you. Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree. I will also bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you."



I don't know if I could have lived in Abraham's time, I have a difficult time as it is now. Its' not like they had microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners and a kitchen sink to run fresh water. His service was hard for the three travelers and he served without expecting anything in return. He served with such happiness and zeal. And in serving he received an announcement that day that He and Sarah would be having a son. Genesis 18:10



So, my neighbor friend, in serving you, my children received.



It was with great honor!