We are studying 12 extraordinary women from the Bible, and this week the lesson was on Hannah. It was quite relevant and thought provoking to me. The biggest lesson I took from it was the idea that her influence as a godly wife and mother came from three specific areas: love for her husband, love for God, and love for her home.
Love for her husband:
"Contrary to popular opinion, the most important characteristic of a godly mother is not her relationship with her children. It is her love for her husband. The properly situated family has marriage at the center; families shouldn't revolve around the children." (p. 95, 12 Extraordinary Women)
I'm not a mom. Quite yet. But I've always believed that my husband should come first - before children. I have heard that it is a hard balance - as a mother - to find. But it does make sense. While this was a great passage from the book, the next was what I loved:
"All parents need to heed this lesson: what you communicate to your children through your marital relationship will stay with them for the rest of their lives. By watching how mother and father treat one another, they will learn the most fundamental lessons of life - love, self-sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sin, sympathy, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness." (p. 95, 12 Extraordinary Women)
Wow. Doesn't that seem a little daunting? Our kids will see mostly everything we do to/for each other. In part that's great because we dance around the house together, snuggle on the couch during movies, and eat dinner together every night. However, we also occasionally disagree, which sometimes leads to arguments. That will of course be fine -- but we have to remember that how we handle conflict will stay with our kids. How we talk to each other, how we treat each other - those things they will remember.
Being a wife and mother is no easy task, but it is probably the most fulfilling challenge I will complete in my life.
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