Sunday Snippet: When Moms Get Discouraged There is Always Hospitality…

The last couple of days I have noticed that folks in the Northern Hemisphere having started talking about Spring. If they are talking about spring then I should seriously be thinking about school again!!! We are doing a whole bunch of summer “school” fun, but right now I don’t have that “Get Up and Go Feeling…” for seat work kind of school… at all!!!

Ready Steady Jump... The boy brigade!!!

I think when it comes to school, we often think that if we were more organized or we prepared better or we did a whole lot more work that school would go so much better… but it isn’t really about that. It is about having the energy day in and day out to persist with great enthusiasm… even when your team players are somewhat dragging their feet… For example, there are members of my team that could care less whether they ever do a math again, while I am thinking about completing school. Not always singing from the same song sheet as my students doesn’t help!!!
Maybe just one more!!!

Honestly, even when you have been parenting for almost fifteen years you can feel somewhat overwhelmed… In fact I know that “overwhelmed” may be the signature of motherhood, and there are many days when I still overwhelm my mum. I know the lessons, school or life lessons, that our children need to know and are slow to learn… I can see where they are struggling and need a boost. There are times when I shed tears over my children, I think all mothers do and I have faith:

Psalm 126:5-6 “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

I am going to touch on hospitality again, I really think that when God commanded us to practice hospitality he had mums in mind. I can hear you gasp at the thought of visitors when yet another day is falling apart. The bathroom is a mess, the dishes need doing, the laundry really has to be hung now and dinner should have been started. Who in their right minds would want a visitor then. I would!!! No I am not mad… Often it takes a good friend dropping by to give me some perspective: to make me take a few minutes away from the drudgery, to welcome a visitor in and re-charge a bit. I have to be honest I never ever think I need a break and the thought of visitors dropping by, especially during school time, can leave me reeling in potential agony. But I do think my encouragement comes through friends that God has placed in my path. They come over and lament with me, and tell me their family has a lot of more dirty dishes than mine… and they make me at least slow down and have a quick break.

Romans 12:13 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Which leads to another question folk often ask us is “How on earth we can have people round for dinner a couple of nights a week?” The point is, I could be overwhelmed I could want to collapse in a state of despair but to be honest we all know that getting ready for a good day tomorrow then we need to finish with today. I can assure you that nothing on this earth gets your home somewhat straightened and chores done than knowing dinner guests are coming!!! Somehow visitors break the humdrum, they make us catch ourselves… everyone behaves a little better… big kids help little kids just a little more, little kids rise to the occasion and what’s better than an evening spent chatting and meeting folk with new and different stories to tell… I think having visitors round unites our family and teaches us all to serve better.

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My school “mojo” isn’t up to speed quite yet, which is right – it is still summer, I have a couple of weeks!!! But it got me thinking when a mum is feeling discouraged then where does she find her encouragement? I pray for my kids… I pray for my husband… I pray for my friends’ kids. But It occurs to me that when a friend says she is battling with her child I almost always pray for the child. But who is praying for the mums I know. I am praying for mums because all mums get discouraged and they need all the support that can get.

8 Replies to “Sunday Snippet: When Moms Get Discouraged There is Always Hospitality…”

  1. Well I am encouraged! And inspired! Thank you for your hospitality and friendship. I need to put more of this into practice for sure, and also pray more for my kids. Love you to bits!

  2. Hi Tammy, So glad to encourage and inspire you, thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment!!! Pray for those cute kiddos, of course!!! Hope you have a great week!!!

  3. I really appreciate the encouragement to keep on sowing even with tears! And the reminder to pray for and welcome others who are moms like me. Lots of food for thought in this post. Will be coming back to chew on it! Also grateful for all the times I have been blessed by your prayers and hospitality – I have seen it in action! Lots of love from us all!

  4. Hay Corli, So good to hear from you!!! So many life lessons my kids are teaching me… and I too have been remiss and need to thin of all the heaps of moms I know!!! Hope you have a lovely week!!! Lots of love back!!!

  5. Hay Katherine Marie, You are such a great friend!!! We got your letter yesterday and we are pouring over ever detail and love the whole package!!! The tiny photos, the special introduction to your beautiful new recruit… blimey all tiny babies make me cry!!! So cute!!!

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