5-21-2014 8-12-34 AMHer children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.(Proverbs 31:28) When I first became a Mother, I was elated. I wasn’t sure what to do or what was in store, but I knew it had to be awesome. I knew my babies would be just the sweetest (and they were, except for waking mama up randomly at night) and I would be known as supermom! I had a rude awakening. I thought that people would just see what good I would do as a Mother who chose to stay at home all day long with her babies.

 

I just knew the world would see the important role of a “Wife and Mother.” 

Or would they?

We started out with 1 baby and now have 3 sons. I’m not a veteran Mom, but I have learned a few things in my short 6 years of motherhood, and my short 7 years of marriage. After several months of being a new mom and wife, I figured out I was not super woman, mom, or wife. I felt like my “job” was not very important. (Yes, we married young and 4 months later I became pregnant, so I was thrown into two roles pretty quickly.)  I would iron uniforms, cook meals, clean the house, and change diapers. Not to mention clean up spit up, not shower when I want, have the hubby gone a lot due to work, and did I mention not shower?  That does not sound like too much fun and at times it is not.

I longed to be a writer, photographer, or a jewelry maker. People would see how important those things were. They would read my words, see my photos, or wear my jewelry. I wanted approval from the world. I think we all go through that at times. We feel as our role as wife and mother just are not that important. We do a lot for our husbands and children, but don’t always get thanked or rewarded. The world does not think very much of what we do, and they aren’t afraid to let us know it. I still get looks or questions like ‘Oh, you don’t work?’ I have to hold my tongue and nicely explain I work a lot, but no one sees it much.

Yet…….. Our hard work does pay off!

It pays off in our marriages and children. Our men need us. They need us to do the hard things, sometimes while they are at work. They need us to pray for them. They need us to be the woman God wants us to be. It pays off when your child begins to grasp things you have been teaching them. Our children need us. They need support, love, training, and encouragement. They have to know they are loved. They need to know how to have a relationship with our Lord.

That starts with knowing our calling as wives and mothers are important! It’s being confident in God and doing the work He has set before us well. I am a very weak woman and I used to think that was a bad thing. God has showed me that it is not a bad thing. I am weak, but He is strong and that is what He wants. He doesn’t want the world to see me, but to see Him.

Know that you are important, ladies. You matter to God and to your family! You even matter to society though they don’t realize it; whether you have one child or twenty. You are needed by God to be His vessel of love, grace, discipline, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness. Keep up the great work and know you are awesome!

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Let’s take a moment to pray!

Lord, thank You for the beauty of Motherhood. Thank You that we do not have to be perfect or strong. Thank You for being our strength and our source of love. You have called us to be Mother’s and wives that love and love more. Help us to love our husbands and our children with your love and see them through your eyes. Help us to be the women of God that you want for us to be. May we give you all the glory and honor.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Building strong marriages together,

 Heather Strickland