A God-Given Opportunity

Being a stay at home mom is so different then I ever anticipated when I was pregnant with Sydney. In all fairness, I was actually planning on returning to work part-time after Sydney was born. Through some quick changes in management while I was on maternity leave, I learned that my part-time status didn't get approved by the 'new' manager. A disappointment? yes at first but it was quickly replaced with the option of staying at home full time, which excited me very much. It was something that Andrew and I both agreed on while we were in engaged. We wanted to be the main influences our of children's lives as much as possible.

Over the years, I haven't regretted that decision but I've had to change my expectations of what it would look like and how it would feel. For instance, I had not anticipated what the effect of not having much adult interaction during the day would have on me. I am a fairly social being and if I want that adult interaction I'm learning I have to be intentional to plan play-dates with other moms or coffee in the evenings. To me, these things are so minor compared to the pay-offs of having my children with me throughout the day. There are days that I would not want to be anywhere else then with my children and of course there are days were I'd like to be anywhere else then with my children (this is usually cured with some time by myself or a date away from the kids:)

One thing I have learned is to be thankful for the unique opportunity to shape, mold, teach and pour into another individual or in my case two individuals on a daily basis. This is not a task I take lightly or brush easily to the side. It is a wonderful God-given opportunity to raise our children to know, experience, love and desire Jesus! I'm learning they will truly learn those qualities if I am being an example of those things when I am with them and when I'm not. I do want to say that this isn't a one way street either. I have learned more from my children in the past 6 months then I ever have. They have such a tender way of approaching God in prayer, they have amazing dreams about Jesus and talk about Jesus and how he's with them all the time...even to the point of saving him a chair at times. Sydney latest lesson to me went something like this. Sydney: Mommy, who made the thunder and lightning? Me: God did. Sydney: Oh yeah, then I don't have to be scared of it if God made it. Me: why not? Sydney: Because he's always with me and he could stop it if he wanted to. Me: ummm...that's right. A simple childlike faith. Those are the kinds of conversations that I don't want to miss along this journey. So thank you Lord for this God-Given Opportunity!

I've attached a short video clip I got from my friend Courtney this morning and found it so inspiring and hope you all experience the same.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23