I recieved this letter from the editor of Above Rubies and thought it was very encouraging. The role we have as mothers is indeed a high calling. When the work seems endless and you heart feels torn, remember that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. He who called you is faithful (Heb. 10:23).

“May the blessings of the Lord fill your heart and your home.

I have been thinking about you today and want to encourage you in your mighty task as a mother. May God fill you with His strength, His patience and His anointing as you nurture your two precious treasures – Elise and Audrey – the children whom God has so graciously given to you. Each one is a special gift from God whom you are training for His divine purposes.

You are doing a mighty work. There is nothing greater that you could be doing in the whole of the world. Your work is for eternity. Your children are eternal souls who will live forever. Not only are you training them for the purposes God has for them in this world, but you are also preparing them for the eternal world! Wow! What a mission!

How blessed you are to have your children around you. I know that you often feel overwhelmed, but I want to remind you that in the midst of all the frustrations and tiredness, that this is a very precious time of your life. It was the most precious time of my life. I look back and remember the times I felt “so tired” and yet I can’t think of anything in my life that has been more meaningful and more joyful than those wonderful days.

Don’t endure each day, but seek to make it special. You will never have these days with your children again. They are for such a short time. Enjoy them. Revel in them. You may feel that you are not accomplishing a lot each day, but there are years ahead to do all the projects you want to do. But at the moment, your lovely children are your priority. I remember thinking as I watched my children, “I will never forget them at this moment,” but the years have gone and many I can’t recall many of those moments. They are now all married and raising their own children and at the moment. We now have 24 grandchildren and are waiting for # 25 to be born this February and # 26 later this year. God is so good.

Back in those days I remember reading the thoughts of another mother and they were a comfort to me. She said,

“These are the never years. Never enough money, never enough time, never enough sleep - but always enough love. The sweetest kiss of a baby the tooth-past-flavored kiss of a child on his way to school (sadly, homeschooling wasn’t in process in those days 40 years ago); the sleepy kiss of a husband who is just as tired as you.

These are the busy years, the wonderful, hectic, impossible years. Soon the children will be grown and I’ll have plenty of time to organize my house, to sew and to cultivate outside interests. I wonder if it will be as wonderful as I sometimes dream it will? Or am I in the middle of the wonderful years… right now?”

Yes, you are in the wonderful years now. I look back on the years when all my little brood were under my wings (or I should say, under my legs and in my arms and one or other of them needing me at every moment) and they were definitely the most blessed years of my life. At one stage I had three in 17 months! That’s because I had twins although they will soon be 40 years old! Then I had four children in less than four years. So I can certainly relate to how you feel at the moment.

We eventually had six. But six children never seemed very many. Nearly every day my husband and I say to each other, “Where are the rest of our children? I wish we’d had twelve!” It just seems like one blink of an eye and they have all grown up and married.

I love some of the beautiful names God calls our children. Isn’t this a lovely one? The “beloved fruit of the womb.” (Hosea 9:16) Not just the “fruit of the womb”, but also the “beloved fruit of the womb.” The context of this passage is God’s judgment, because of their wicked works, was to destroy the beloved fruit of their womb, but it reveals how God views children and also how the early Hebrews felt about their children.

Here’s what some of the other translations way…

NIV, Cherished offspring
RV, Beloved children
NAS, Precious ones
NEB, Dearest offspring
JER, Darlings
NAS, Treasures of the womb

Now there are some good names to call your children!

Hebrews 11:7 is a great Scripture, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

For 100 years, Noah did the same old thing - hammered, nailed and keep on building his ark. He didn’t have time to do all the things that everyone else was doing. He just kept on slogging and being faithful, doing the same thing every day for all those years - but in doing so he condemned the world. Yes, he changed the world because he stuck with the job he was given to do! He changed the world by doing the same thing day after day after day. And at the same time he saved his family!

You may feel that you are just doing the same old thing every day, but as you are faithful to raise godly children, and build an ark for the saving of your house, you will condemn the world around you. You are accomplishing far more than those who go out to seek a worldly career to the detriment to their highest calling. Your influence goes on into the generations and even into eternity.

Isn’t it amazing that our daily faithfulness in the home will have its impact on earth — and also for eternity? It can change the world! We have to remember that bearing and raising children is a long-term investment - in fact, an eternal one! In a culture where everyone wants everything to happen instantaneously, we must learn to think long term - for the future.

So rejoice and be glad in your high and noble calling.
YOU ARE CHANGING THE WORLD!
Remember, you have the most important career in the nation!

Love from
NANCY CAMPBELL, Above Rubies”

I have always longed to be a mother. After my daughter was born, my dad said, “You are doing just what you were created to do.” My dad, who is not a Christian and barely knows me, touched my heart with that statement because it said so simply what I felt was true. A natural extension of my desire to be a mother is my awe and joy in being pregnant. It is such a miracle to get the privilege of holding a new little life God created within my body. To feel my child move and grow within me brings me wonder that nothing else inspires me to. God has blessed my husband and me with two easy, healthy pregnancies, so I assumed labor would be the same. It wasn’t with my first birth and now I’m facing my second. That’s why I writing this post…how does God fit into my labors?

I was so excited for my first labor…it felt like an adventure that no one could foretell. I prayed and prayed that God would bless it and things would go smoothly. I memorized scriptures to go over during contractions (which I used faithfully). I felt certain that God’s “strength is made perfect in my weakness.” I dreamed that Paul and I would be examples of faithful commitment to God’s sovereignty throughout the labor, thereby bring glory to God in front of any nonbelievers at the hospital. I imagined an ideal birth. Well, my labor wasn’t ideal, it was LONG, and our marriage was not a shining example of God’s love for all to see. It began on a Thursday evening and never really progressed. We went to a scheduled doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and I was 100% effaced and dilated to 5-1/2. Paul and I were so relieved I was dilated that we listened to the doctor and checked into the hospital. We should have known that nothing was going to happen because my contractions were the same way they’d been for a week. So, we were sent home and the next day my water broke. They put me on pitocin for 6 hours and I was only dilated to about 6-1/2. I hadn’t slept for 6 nights and my hips felt they were being torn in two, so I gave up. I got an epidural and 5 minutes later was ready to push and pushed her out in 6 pushes. She was beautiful and healthy and I was grateful.

The problem was that I thought I had failed at labor. AND I thought I was ungrateful for God’s blessing of a healthy baby…isn’t that the point anyway? The week or two after my daughter’s birth I had panic attacks at night. The nights of laboring had been so lonely and it was hard to be up with a newborn in the same lonely house. I felt so defeated that I had given up just when labor was almost over. Did I not trust God enough to keep going? Or was I humbled by my own weaknesses and needed to accept God’s grace in this situation? Was I asking God to do everything my way or did God have a plan for me when it came to this birth? Mostly, I just wanted to do it all over again and this time, do it differently. I never really came to peaceful resolution of my first birth, time and God healed my heart some and life goes on, especially with a toddler.

I was thrilled to find out I was pregnant for a second time and determined to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy. And I did, until it started to get close to birth time. Then I realized that I had planned all along to redeem my first labor with a perfect second labor. As the end of my pregnancy got closer and closer, I started to get more and more scared. I remembered how many things can happen during labor, how many unknowns there are, how many things can go wrong, and I realized not only could this labor not be “better” than my first, it very well could be worse. I panicked that the baby was breach, that I would need a C-section, that the baby would be hurt…all of my excitement about my first birth was now full blown fear about my second birth. My husband and I looked into many different birth options, postulating that a hospital birth may not be the best fit for us. This exercise of exploring our different options was supposed to calm my nerves and make me feel confident in our chosen birth options. All it did was bring every single one of my fears to the surface, help me lose a week of sleep, and completely lock me in indecision about that was the right choice. God has blessed me with a wise and strong husband, who made the decision to have a hospital birth with our current doctor. I trust him and felt completely relieved when that decision was over. But spiritually, I still needed to figure out where God stood in all of this and how to view this from His perspective instead of my own.

I first tried to pray for all my fears and release them to God. This is always a good thing to do, but the problem was I could always come up with a slightly different fear or slightly different combinations of situations and then I needed to go back to God again. I felt like I was trying to control God. If I could think of everything that could go wrong and bring it to God in prayer, then He’d know that I didn’t want that situation to happen and it wouldn’t. My heart wasn’t praying in faith, but in fear…hoping to cover every situation with God’s grace so not one thing was left to go wrong. Seeing how I was trying to control everything brought me to the truth: I cannot control this labor, I cannot redeem my first labor, and I cannot tell God what to do. This truth has set my free…both from trying to rewrite my first labor and to program my second. I can look back recently on my first labor and see God’s hand in it. It could so easily have been worse, and I really am grateful for His provisions of a vaginal birth and healthy baby. Yes, I would have liked to accomplish my goal of a natural birth, but I’m learning to take joy in the spiritual lessons I’ve learned instead.

Primarily, I have learned that I cannot be a perfect mother, apart from God or totally centered in God. I think I thought that if I totally relied on God during my labor, it would be perfect. It is good to rely on God in all things, but it is a lie to believe that guarantees you that everything will be good and perfect. Just look at the disciples…they faithfully taught about Christ after his resurrection and all but one were killed for their obedience. I think American Christians have come to rely on the belief that God will bless us for our obedience, and He does…with eternal blessings, not worldly ones of health, riches, and ease. I desperately need to remember that lesson as I raise my children. Secondly, as much as I felt that I fell short of faith in my first labor, I realized that God’s “strength is made perfect in our weakness.” I needed God’s healing and grace and love to ease my heart after my labor and He has done that sweetly and gently. I fall back so easily on thinking I can fix everything and do better, if I just try harder. But I can’t and God is ready to meet me right at that spot where I say God, “You are all powerful and merciful and wise and I need you to be my head. I am yours.”
So, I’m less than a week away from my due date and am I spiritually ready? I don’t know. Again I’ve memorized my scriptures and again I’ve prayed God’s blessing on the birth. But at this point, I hope and pray and think my heart has let go of controlling the details of the birth. I know God is good and I believe him when He says He “is my refuge and my strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” I am praying for God’s blessing on the health of my baby and the smoothness of my labor, but I am also praying that my heart will be faithful and calm, no matter what twists and turns this labor takes. I’ve decided this birth is not my rite of passage into womanhood or my crowning achievement as a mother, but another path in my life in which God will teach me to rely on him and believe in His promises in the midst of unknown mountains and valleys.

I live in Texas. Arminian Revivalism is rampant here. It seems that all smiling, big-haired, rich TV evangelists come from Texas. Even churches that don’t consider themselves Arminian are in many ways unknowingly. Essentially the problem with Arminianism is that the burden of saving people lies on other people instead of on God. Only God can save a someone. We can never be “soul-winners”. That phrase is nearly blasphemous to me as it is only the blood of Christ that has ever “won” a soul.

Arminianism produces what the Internet Monk cleverly calls a “wretched urgency” to convert people, to get them to say a formulaic prayer so that they can get their ticket to heaven and our churches to grow. Faith is largely seen as a one time act, a prayer you say after hearing “the bridge” or ‘Roman’s Road”. After checking off the believing box, then you continue on in the Christian life doing things: serving the community, working to be a better mom, spouse, friend, witnessing to people, etc. You may have to say the prayer again because the sin in your life indicates that you didn’t really mean it.

The Arminian exaltation of human effort and free will over God’s sovereignty often leads to a “works righteousness” theology of sanctification. What we do for God is much more heavily emphasized than knowing God and being like him in character. Conspicuously missing is a passion for who God is. Glaringly evident is a focus on our efforts and what God does for you. To consider this issue in depth, read imonk’s captivating article “Wretched Urgency”.

What I must address here is the particular toll this kind of misplaced focus take on mothers in particular. Do we not already suffer enough guilt over what we do and don’t do by nature of our job and feminine make-up? A C.E.M. has a great amount of responsibility and an endless list of things that must be done. We can easily get caught up in a works righteousness that will quench the Spirit and our joy and lead to drudgery and deadness. As an aside, recognize that it is usually your pride that is attracted to works righteousness theology. In this kind of approach to Christian living, you are the one in control, trials or blessings depend on what you do. You are the one who gets the glory for your righteousness, despite an occasional reference to how God is empowering you. It’s because of your effort that He is able to use you, right?

No, don’t agree with me! That is wrong! You are only conscious because God has willed it to be so! If you do anything that is good, it is His grace in you that has done it. He gets all the glory. All of it. And we get the joy of knowing Him, of admiring Him, of delighting in His glory. Imagine something divinely beautiful to you; is there not pleasure and joy in admiring and praising its excellence? This is how we relate to God, seeing His beauty with the eyes of faith. The joy of the beholding that beauty by faith becomes our strength to live our lives righteously and pleasing to Him. The joy of faith is what adorns our lives, fills them with radiance and makes them uniquely, strangely, wonderfully attractive to others. It is our joy in the Lord by faith that glorifies Him.

Nehemiah 8:10 - Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

There is a time for everything, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, and of course it would not be wise to read this verse and excuse our chocolate habits. However, the phrase “the joy of the Lord is your strength,” has been echoing in my mind for months now. A recovering legalist, I haven’t known much joy in believing, more fatigue in working. I have kept my life and relationships manageable so that I could feel successful and spiritual in my efforts, but all the while a growing fear and depression brooded beneath my competent surface. Difficulties with a family member I love very much reminded me that I could not count on keeping my children’s lives within a controllable boundary. I cannot count on my own efforts to ensure a relatively pain free life. I was a fool to entertain the idea. I knew that, but the thought of real grief, more than I already bore, threatened to crush me. My fearful, self-reliant thought patterns combined with the constant suffering I heard reports of in the world tightened around my heart like a noose.

If you are not drained and depressed and deadened yet by following the teachings of works righteousness, just wait. You will be. Worse than your own misery and guilt will be the effect that works-righteousness or legalism will have on your children. How many kids have rebelled ferociously against Christ because of the joyless legalism of their parents? My mother was one of these who was pushed and pushed to do the right thing for God without knowing the joy of faith and the joy of the freedom we have in Christ. She has yet to fully recover at 55. His grace covers us, we are free from the guilt of our sin and we as mothers desperately need to live and communicate those gifts to our children. Legalism, or religious perfectionism, is so damaging to our children. They can’t be perfect! They are sinners just as yourself. Teach them the hope and freedom of faith in Christ and obediance that comes through love; teach them that Christ is gracious and sovereign and is perfectly able to somehow turn all things for good to those who trust Him.

As I have learned to trust the Lord, it has largely been through my imperfections, failures and weaknesses that God has worked wonders, both in my own life, my marriage, my children and in other relationships. He has begun to develop a depth, a hope, a peace and a joy that perfectionism could have never grown.

Let your “to do” list, though certainly helpful, be eclipsed by daily meditation on God as revealed in the person of Christ. The life we live is “by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

The struggle I encounter daily in my roles of wife and mother include: fear, worry, guilt over not doing enough for my kids and friends and neighbors, guilt over things I doing things I want to do, more fear, more worry, “harmless” addictive habits, foolish words, impatience, resentment and anger. I put together a list of Truths about God and living a life of knowing God that I focus on believing in order to walk in the freedom in Christ I have from the above sins. Please add others you can think of in the comments.

God is Sovereign

Job 42:2 - I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Matthew 10:29 - Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. God is Good Psalm 31:19 - How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God is loving Ephesians 3:17-19 - 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Psalm 103:11-17 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. . . But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, Everything is the Lord’s Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. We are saved by the grace of God through faith Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Acts 16:31 - They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved;” God has promised to display His power through believers’ lives. Ephesians 1:18-19 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 3:20 - Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, I am dead to sin. Romans 6:10-11 - For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. All my sins are forgiven 1 John 2:12 - I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. Romans 8:1 - Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We live by faith. Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Hebrews 10:38 - 38 But my righteous one shall live by faith; Works without faith profit nothing Galatians 5:4-5 - 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 1 Corinthians 13:3 - And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Galatians 3:2-3 - Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? God provides all that we need. Psalm 34:8-10 - O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Luke 12:28-32 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Our reward is worth the trials of this life.

Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - Just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. 2 Corinthians 4:17 - For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

Recent events have clarified for me the power of the Gospel. It is so easy to fret over a thousand different factors in our children’s lives and develpment, each one often seeming to be overwhelmingly important. How do I ensure that my child will read on time, how do I teach her to obey in the grocery store . . . I can’t bear to begin thinking through all the ways we need to mould our children, all the skills they will need to face adulthood. But do we understand the centrality of the Gospel to every single aspect of our childrens’ lives? To unbelievers it is foolishness and to believers it is often overlooked. Yeah, yeah, we think, believe in Jesus. Check. Now on to all the things I have to do. . .

There are few other preachers alive today more Biblical and powerful than John Piper. He recently spoke at a Reformission Confrence in Seattle. If the Gospel sounds like old dry news to you (and even if it doesn’t) these six sermons are a must hear.

In essence, the Gospel is about believing God. Anything we do apart from faith in God, in who He is, what He did in Jesus Christ, who He has made us to be as believers in Christ, what He has enabled us to do by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the absolute Truth and power of His word, apart from this kind of faith, all we do in our children’s lives will be tainted by our own selfishness and profit little. It is a tough world out there and our children need faith to move mountains. God cares about a sparrow falling and He cares about the tiny little events of your life and of your child’s life. Use every opportunity you have to build faith into your precious child. The difficulties in learning new basic skills, the trials of learning to navigate relationships, fears in the night. . . God has designed and ordained our children’s lives perfectly to teach them simple, profound, essential things about Himself from year one.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to do my job well. I want to excel. By what criteria will I will be evaluated?

A woman of excellence is not necessarily one whose house is always clean or whose marriage shames the sentiments of a Valentine’s Day card. Her children did not all necessarily sleep through the night by three months, all potty trained at an early 2 or who have never eaten sugar. A woman of excellence is not necessarily one who dresses fashionably, is trim and thin, or whose children have never been babysat by the TV.

A woman of excellence is one who is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

We will never be able to control our circumstances and families so well as to sport a “perfect life”. That isn’t the plan and you will die inside trying (Believe me, I try it sporadically.) God has not purposed for us perfect children, perfect homes or perfect marriages! Did you know that when you strive for that, you are striving against God?! He has purposed for us certain children, homes, husbands and events in order to form us into the image of His son; to burn away the garbage of our self-centered hearts and to form in us a pure, beautiful, loving heart.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7,13 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. . . . 13 And now abide these three, faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love.”

I may die before the surprises of parenthood end. I have heard that children change your life forever. I didn’t quite realize it meant that they change you when they are born and they keep changing and challenging you everyday for the rest of your life! (I have only been at this business for 3 years, so let me know if I am wrong.) I love Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, when he says “You have heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery’ but I tell you anyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” I think He said to me recently “You have heard it said, ‘Your children are not your own, they are the Lord’s,’ but I tell you ‘I mean it!’” I have found matching my life to my knowledge much more difficult than I ever imagined. Let me explain.

My 2.5 year old, Elise, serves as a mirror for me far too often. Walking through the store, any store, pick a store, she will pick up something and start to carry it around.

“Elise,” I say, “We will have to put that ‘nite-nite’ when we leave the store, ok?”

“Ok mommy!”

I will remind her several times as we shop. I will prepare her, “Elise, we are going to put that nite-nite when we get to the cashier, ok?”

“Ok mommy!”

“Ok Elise, put the lizard nite-nite now.” (She loves lizards.)

“NO!!! NO!!” Cry. Cry. Big Tantrum.

during my first pregnancy, as I prayed and day-dreamed about my coming baby, I thought about how this child was the Lord’s child. I was a steward of this precious life for Him. I knew someday I would have to put her “nite-nite” and let her go. I theoretically knew she couldn’t be a stuffed animal that stayed the same and cuddled with me forever. Then Elise came and her little button nose and tiny parts swept me off my feet and I cried “Mine! Thank you God! She is beautiful and she is mine and I am never letting her go!” How easily we selfish people claim dominion over the gracious gifts of God. “My house, my money, my car, my clothes, I, me, my, mine! MY children!” How much pride and possessiveness concerning children easily, nearly automatically, comes out in a mother! (Maybe its just me, write a comment and let me know!)

So as my children and I begin to grow, I mostly have been possessive of my girls. “My girls!” I was just so shocked by how much I loved them, so afraid of how it will hurt to ever loose them or watch them hurt, I didn’t know how to combine “theory” with the overwhelming reality of what I felt. What a difficult thing for a mother’s heart to understand and do. In a wonderful sense they are indeed mine. They are my daughters, I have been given them in some way, yet in a way that is fragile. A way that our self-centeredness quickly begins to misuse. My own mother once shared with me an illustration I have never since forgotten. If you are given a fragile baby bird to hold in your hand, you cannot grasp it with a fist or it will die. It must be held with an open hand, free to fly when the time comes to stretch its wings.

So my children are on loan. Not only are they each their own person (Heaven knows how you and I feel when our mothers act possessive of us!), they are first the Lord’s, created by God for His good and perfect purposes.