Motherhood

Motherhood...

Many years ago when I became a mother, I knew that I had landed my dream job.  This is what I had always wanted.  A sweet little baby...to rock to sleep, to care for, to enjoy. OK, so it wasn't all bliss, there were the sleepless nights, the messy diapers, the cries of teething, and the demands at both ends, (morning and night) when child number two arrived and stayed up half the night, while child number 1 loved to spend early mornings playing with mom.  Then my third child arrived, and life got crazy, but I still loved what I was doing, and the fact that these sweet little ones were mine to care for made me tremendously happy!!

Then my oldest turned 4 and I was forced to think about sending him off to school.....I had not really given much thought to this part of growing up before then...I mean that is what everyone does, right??  That's is when God placed a sweet family with 4 little boys in our path.  My brother, who lived in a different state, had some friends who were traveling though on their way to a wedding, and needed a place to pull in with their motorhome for the night.  Well that situation right there was out of my comfort zone!!  My husband was gone for the evening and I was not very comfortable with the thought of entertaining this family by myself.  Well as it turned out, they arrived late in the evening, said a quick hello and headed back to their motorhome, while I sat inside feeling rather guilty.  It was early spring and rather cold in our neck of the woods, with the wind howling and was I feeling like I should invite them in, but my husband still wasn't home and we had a carpeted floor they could have slept on, but no extra beds.  Well Kent soon arrived home and assured me that their lights were already out, and that they would be fine. 

Well the next morning came and we invited them in for a visit...well little did I know that our visit would vastly change my life!  They were such a nice family, their little boys were so sweet and well behaved, they all had such a caring demeanor and I was wowed!!  Then I learned that they homeschooled!!  Homeschooled...hmmm, up until this point, I am really not sure that I had considered that as an option.  I was aware that there was another family at our church that homeschooled, but I didn't really know them very well, and this was back in the early/middle 90's, it wasn't as popular or widespread as it is now.  Well after lunch we said good-bye to our new friends, and they were on their way, but boy had they left an impression on me!

I am sharing all of this for a reason.  God has done much in my life since that time, and I am ready to share my journey.  I have learned many things along the way.  God is faithful and by my side, even though I can't see the big picture and have let myself get easily overwhelmed at times....I am a work in progress, and that is not a bad thing....God can use me while I am growing.  Homeschooling is NOT the saving grace, but an awesome tool to use for the process.  You think diapers and crying babies will stretch you, just wait until your teens want to fly to the ends of the earth or minister on the streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras...then you will wish you were back to the days of scheduled bedtimes and play dates!

Well I will be posting more here in the days to come.  I am looking forward to this journey back in my past, a journey that doesn't seem like it could have possibly been but a few short years ago....but that little first born, a son is now 27, married, and will soon have a son of his own.  Cherish the moments that God's blesses you with...because soon they will just be a memory.