Priorities of a wise Mum 2

About fifteen years ago, Keith gave me a bunch of poppies.  It was not a beautiful bunch of flowers at first as it was a bunch of pods, but I put them in a vase in the middle of our kitchen table thinking to myself that I would never have chosen this particular bunch of flowers as it looked rather ugly.
Much to my surprise, this bunch of pods turned into the most spectacular bunch of flowers imaginable and it happened before our eyes.  My family would sit at the table and watch a pod "pop" and burst out of its shell and reveal a brand new flower.  I can still remember how I felt looking at this bunch of flowers, as I felt very much like the pod and desperately longed to become one of those flowers.
Being a mother of small children had exhausted me and I had few reserves remaining.  I was a Christian, and could tell you with my mouth that I was God's precious child, but I certainly didn't feel it inside.  I honestly didn't think that I mattered to God at all.  Keith was working at a large church and was very busy and worked many nights and long days.  I felt like what he did was important and mattered to God.  I had invested most of my energy into being a wife and mother, but didn't feel like I was doing a particularly good job at either and must be a profound disappointment to God.
Soon after this bunch of poppies arrived, I was asked to give a talk on grace.  God in His profound goodness, used this talk to speak to me of His grace toward me.  It was like becoming a Christian all over again and I felt like something burst inside me and that I was no longer a pod but God's beautiful flower.
A wise Mum remembers that she is saved by grace and it is this that shapes who she is profoundly.
If you find yourself feeling like a no good, very bad Christian mother, it is good to remind yourself of the depth of God's deep deep love for you.  A wise Mum knows that she is nothing without God's grace.  There is a song that expresses this truth beautifully:
"Come see the beauty of the Lord,
Come see the beauty of his face.
See the Lamb that once was slain,
See on his palms is carved your name.
See how our pain has pierced his heart,
And on his brow he bears our pride:
A crown of thorns.
But only love pours from his heart
As silently he takes the blame.
He has my name upon his lips,
My condemnation falls on him.
This love is marvellous to me,
His sacrifice has set me free,
And now I live."  Graham Kendrick, 1985.
We need to remind ourselves that God does not only accept us if we are perfect mothers and have perfect children.  Nor does He only accept us if we have lived a life of good deeds.  It is easy to demand perfection of ourselves and think that this is what God demands.  But let me tell you, this will lead to a "podlike" existence and it is pretty bleak.
If you look at Zephaniah it describes how God feels about His chosen people:  "He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  (3:17)  This verse tells us that God actually delights in each one of us!  Why?  Is it because we are such utterly adorable creatures?  Or is it because our children are so totally irresistible?  This verse says that He delights in us because He loves us just as we are.  Not because of our expertise in mothering or because we have perfect children.  If you need help remembering this truth, I made a card that you can print out and put on your fridge or noticeboard on an earlier post.
I am certain I am not the only mother to forget about grace.  I read recently an article by Ruth Barry in the Eternity Magazine "then I turned 31".  I love her honesty and am excited by her thinking.