Longing for the Easy Life

I'm reading through Managers of Their Chores by Steven and Teri Maxwell.  I'm really enjoying the book so far.  I'm still in the trenches of the why and wherefore, and haven't yet reached the practical how to on training my children to do their chores.  I look forward to that part and have been tempted more than once to skip ahead and get on with it already.  I already agree with everything they say anyway.  Though they have thought through more than I have and it's great reading.

Chapter five is all about Dad's attitudes.  It was a great chapter.  They present the entire household/family as being Dad's responsibility.  Mom's the helper, but ultimately, it all falls on Dad.  What mom wouldn't love that?  Still, many of the things I read in that chapter I knew could and does apply to me and there were several "ouch" moments.

So when I turned the page to chapter six and saw that it was all about Mom's attitude, I knew I was in for it.  I grimaced just seeing it there.

And I was right.

The first page.

"Owning Responsibilities."  Hmmm... I wondered, looking at the section heading.  I wonder what that's going to be about. 

I read on with head turned, eyes squinted, peering out of the corner of my eye.  Afraid.  And well I should have been. 

"A starting place for us as mothers is to own our responsibility in our duties first as mothers and then as homemakers." (p. 41)

This doesn't just apply to teaching our children to do chores.  This can apply to my minute by minute attitude toward my children.

They reference Titus 2:4-5, which lists loving husbands and loving children before being keepers at home.  Then 1 Timothy 5:14, that talks about bearing children and then guiding the house.  Not tearing the house down with anger and yelling.  And finally Ephesians 6:4, which reminds fathers (and dare I say mothers as well) not to provoke your children to wrath, but to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

They continue:

"These verses are a good summary of the major responsibilities God has placed into the life of a Christian wife and mother.

 Have we owned these responsibilities, or do we shirk them?  Sometimes it can be easy to feel like it is too much, too hard, and too overwhelming." (p. 41)

Isn't it so easy to feel like it's too much?  Too hard?  Way too overwhelming?

I don't know about you, but I have not "owned these responsibilities".  But to say that I shirk them hurts.  Can't there be something in between?

I so want there to be something in between.  But there's not.  We're never going to be perfect, but if we are not "owning these responsibilities", we certainly are shirking them!

I have been, not just failing, but shirking these responsibilities in my attitude and behavior toward my sweet children.  I do desire to change, but it does feel like it is "to much, too hard, and too overwhelming."

In the Maxwells' very next sentence, I shifted from worn out and hopeless, discouraged that I have not "owned these responsibilities" to the reminder of hope given in the Scriptures:

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Incredible!

What did that say?

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden..."  That's me!

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 

I read it over again.

"Easy... Light."


God has given me the task, these responsibilities in raising up my children.  To love them and to train them.  Not to be angry with them and to yell at them all the time.  Leaning on myself always gets me to the same place... shirked responsibility.

Jesus says, though, that his yoke is easy, his burden... light.

He doesn't ask us to do anything He will not enable us to do.  Should I simply come to Him with this area of life and motherhood and frustration, He has promised rest. 

And if I will only be willing to take His yoke upon me, to learn of Him, I will find rest for my soul.

And then, resting in Him, I will find that his yoke... walking with Him in the life He has called me to... is easy.  That His burden... everything so heavy upon my shoulders each day... is light. 


I can "own these responsibilities".  But I cannot do it alone.  I must go to Him, take up His yoke, and find rest for my soul!


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Labels: From God's Word, Life Lessons for Mommy, Raising Children

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 9:01 AM