The role of a young mother is so consuming it threatens to eclipse every other title we have: wife, friend,sister,daughter, professional, woman. That's just the way it is. I feel like I am in one of the most demanding seasons of parenting and no amount of fussing (on my part) is going to change that. The purpose of my blogging was to let young moms know that they could have it all. But to assume that our other roles should receive the same percentage of our energy as young motherhood is unrealistic.
However, I am slowly learning that no one role can take all you without some sacrifice of the others. When we make our children the center of our universe, we do so at the expense of our other relationships. We will fall out of touch with our husbands, our friends and ourselves when our kids consume everything. So leave it to Jesus to give me a wake up call while I was reading His Word a few days ago. He made a rather shocking statement about relational priorities as He sent His disciples out to minister:
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Matthew 10:37
Dang! If you picture Jesus sitting in the grass petting kittens and lambs, you must have not read the Gospels. This scripture was a big, "Hello, Kara! You have to love me more!" There was a truth that Jesus was getting at that should resonate with us, moms. Here it is: There is a you that exists only in Jesus, and that identify far outweighs those found in other roles. The central makeup of you- your gifts, your passions, talents, personality, purpose-all of those were woven into your DNA before time began.
Before you were a daughter, sister, a wife or mother, you belonged to God. You were His idea. That statement alone makes my heart sing.
You'll be His daughter after your parents and kids are gone. You have a purpose outside your husband's. When you stand before Jesus one day, it won't be as someones mom or wife, or as your parent's daughter. It will just be as you.
Jesus is warning us to not allow our other relationships to get in the way of our own identity. He didn't say, "Don't love your kids or your parents or your husband." He said, "Don't love them more than me." Let me tell you something: If we keep this straight, if Jesus received all of our heart, we'd never lose our self again. How could we?
Jesus would never let us forget our gifts and passions; He put them there!
We would have a grip on reality and we would be less likely to get distracted. We would remain attached to the source of strength and peace.
If we loved Jesus more than anyone else, we would be the best possible mothers, the wives of husbands' dreams. We would maintain our sparkle, our flair, our laughter. The "you" buried under "mom" is vital, essential, important. Hang on to her. Make sure she gets plenty of face time with Jesus. He'll remind her who she is.
So here is my question to you. Are you lost? Which relationship has suffered most from your absence? I would love to hear your response and talk with you more. Shoot me an email: karastribling@yahoo.com or comment on here.
You are loved, my sisters and brothers in Christ.
Kara
