First Irving Ladies Book Club

This was from my friend Liz's blog last week. I just read it this morning and thought it might be an encouragement to you! Remember. . .chapters 3 & 4 for tonight!!




Wednesday, September 19, 2007

1 Corinthians 13 for Mothers
My dear friend J interpreted this scripture from 1 Corinthians a while back and she recently posted it on her blog.
I read it again today...and it could not have been better timing.
I have had a hard week with the kids and I needed this gentle reminder of who I am and what my calling is as a Mother.
I hope you you find it as convicting and encouraging as I did.


"If I’m poetic and profound all day but don’t love my kids, I’m just like an annoying never-ending educational film.

If I teach my kids to memorize the whole Bible, giving my kids a deep understanding of God’s mysteries and making academics a breeze for them; if I have trained them to clean the whole house when I snap my fingers, to be quiet, still and compliant, but don’t love my kids, I’m worse than a dead-beat parent refusing to pay child support.

If I don’t buy myself jewelry, new clothes or anything nice ever again, but spend every penny on my children, if I’m a real “martyr mom” staying up all night working on their birthday parties, Halloween costumes, and decorating their rooms, but don’t love them personally and deeply, they might as well be orphans.

So no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m worse than useless without love.

Loving my kids means never giving up (on them, on their father, on the family, on their future.) Love is patient with a “screamer,” kind to a “brat.”

Love cares more for her children’s joyful fulfillment than for her own “self-actualization”.

Love doesn’t expect her kids to be something they’re not, doesn’t wish they were more like somebody else’s kids. Doesn’t brag about their achievements and live for that vicarious glory.

Love doesn’t tyrannize her children, or rudely wish they’d go away.

Love doesn’t condescend to her kids or force her own paradigms and agendas on them.

Isn’t always “me first.” But loves them with reckless abandon (sometimes saying goodbye forever to careers, traveling the world, old interests and dreams, and, of course, that “bikini body!”)

Love doesn’t fly off the handle or scream at her children. Doesn’t yank them around or cringe in embarrassment when they just act like kids.

Doesn’t tally up the disobedience from the whole week and get progressively furious. Especially doesn’t get angry with one child because another has been misbehaving.

Love doesn’t revel when her kids grovel, doesn’t gloat when they finally feel terrible for their offenses.

Love delights when her children grow in truth, beaming when they first glimpse God’s holy light.

Love protects these precious people, guarding their bodies, hearts, and minds. Love puts up with anything (a sick baby, a handicap, another “accident” on the new carpet.)

Always trusts God with her children (even when he seems to have such a different plan for them.)

Constantly looks for the best in her kids (even if it’s not what was expected.)

Never looks back (at life before kids!)

But keeps going (mothering) to the end.

Love never dies. Love is eternal. Love thinks about her children, praying for them, each day of her entire life.

We have three things to do for our children:

Trust God to be glorious in their lives, be a pillar of hope by expecting his best for them, and love them wildly.