.The Influence of a Mommy.

I have been thinking of that a lot lately.

The influence of a mommy.

I am by no means qualified to write a post like this today, nor any day, really.

Today I

lost my patience, grumbled in my heart about crumbs on the floor, and a very untidy living room,

used my grumpy voice - more than one day should allow, cuddled too little,

lost perspective, forgot to be in the moment, wasn't purposeful when I needed to be,

was short, was tired, was too little too much of the day.



And you know what? God was still merciful and gracious and let me end the day sitting on my messy living room floor, with my four year old snuggled under my arm and my one year old standing on my lap gently patting my cheek. In that small, short moment, I was able to regain some of the perspective that I had lost earlier in the day. And tonight, while Jim is at a deacon's meeting, a meeting that could possibly shape much of our future, and I sit in my still quiet home, with a now clean living room, and two sleeping, beautiful children, I am reminded about the influence of a mommy. I needed for God to remind me of this tonight.

I believe that the influence a woman has on her family is extraordinary. Some days I forget about that influence. The influence can either be for good, or it can be for bad. Sadly, there are moments, even days, when I weaken my family because of my selfish sin nature, my pride, my carelessness. But imagine the positive, godly influence that a mommy can have not only on her family, but on the world! A woman after all is the one who makes a house a home through her godly influence.

As I sit here in the solitude of my cozy home and reflect on being a woman and the influence I have on my family - my children, I am reminded of Timothy. It was Timothy's mom and his grandma that influenced his life for God through their influence as Christian homemakers. Timothy got his faith from his mom and she got her faith from her mom. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that there was no mention of a dad or a grandpa in Timothy's home? I am not trying to claim that faith is inherited, but I do believe with all of my heart that it can be passed from one generation to the next by the godly influence of parents - of a mom. I believe that the influence a mommy has on her children concerning the things of the Lord can make all the difference as to what kind of persons our children will become.

One of the greatest, the best gifts that I can ever give my children is to be a godly mommy. What a priceless and hard gift to give! A godly mommy is one with genuine faith. It doesn't mean that the mommy is perfect, but it means that mommy's faith is real. It is not a mask that she puts on Sunday morning; it is not phony. Phony faith cannot be passed on to our children, nor do we want it to be! As Timothy’s mother can you imagine if her faith had all just been an act? How long do you think it would have taken for Timothy to notice that his mother’s faith wasn’t real?

I think it is so important for my children to see me reading my Bible, and for me to read them the Bible. We are huge fans of the Jesus Storybook Bible in our home. As a mommy, I need to be daily in God's word. I cannot impart to my children what I do not possess! My children need to see the evidence of my love for His Word.

Think about the influence that we moms can have on our children if our faith is real! The primary responsibility for the education of our children lies with the parents. People often ask why Jim and I decided to home school our children. This is the majority of why. We see this time in our lives as a very special opportunity to shape and mold their young, soft hearts in the things of the Lord. In mere years - moments really- my sweet children will be all grown. They will leave our home and enter into the big world on their own, and we want them to be well equipped in the things of the Lord and fully prepared for His service.



I am speaking to myself tonight. I have no one targeted as I type. God has just been convicting me once again in this area. I want to be the kind of mom that builds up and strengthens my family. The kind of mom that makes sacrifices to ensure the stability of my family. I want to leave a blueprint for my children, a blueprint for all of those that are watching. This time is too short, too fleeting, it is but mere moments. I only get one chance to be the mommy that God desires me to be. There is no time for grumpy words, grumbling spirits, missed opportunities. There is no time to worry about a messy living room, not when two beautiful children stand before me, waiting for me to mold them to shape them to love them the way God intended this mommy to live.
Proverbs 14:1 "The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down."