To love their children...
Today has just been "one of those days". You know the ones I'm talking about - your son is being a stereotypical 2 year old boy and has been awake since 6:30am. You are trying to catch up on some much needed rest, but now know that won't happen. Your almost 1 year old is very cranky because she is teething and her 2 year old brother woke her up much earlier than she likes to be awake. You finally get a break to take a VERY quick shower so you can feel ready for the day. Then a minute into your shower, your 2 year old decides to keep turning the sink water on and off and then on again, causing your shower temp to go from warm to freezing to scalding and then back to warm. You try to finish your shower even faster. Then you hear the almost 1 year old start to fuss, so you quick peek around the shower curtain to see the 2 year old "jumping" over the 1 year old who really isn't in a mood to be messed around with. You quickly rinse any remaining soap off and jump out of the shower to deal with the 2 year old who just as quickly runs out of the bathroom toward the big picture window in the living room, knowing that you will not follow until you are wearing something more than just a bath towel.
And on I could go about the reasons for today being "one of those days" but I need to get to my point - "To love their children..." While having "one of those day," I have been reminded of some verses in Titus 2 that I now understand more fully.
Titus 2:1-5:
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
When hearing or reading these verses, I never fully understood why the older women were to teach the younger women to love their husbands and their children. I always thought, "Why would anyone need to be taught HOW to this? Doesn't love just come naturally?" After being married for a few years, I understood that loving your husband does not always come naturally, but until today I really hadn't thought about how mothers need to be taught "to love their children." I now realize that I must work at loving my children and seek the Lord's help in this area.
I wanted to share my "Duh" moment with you for a couple of reasons:
1. I wanted to let all of you veterans of motherhood, a.k.a. aged women, know how much I appreciate your examples and words of encouragement, they have been a great blessing to me!
2. I wanted to help any other young moms realize they aren't the only ones who may struggle with loving their children on a daily basis. If you're struggling, seek the counsel of the "aged women" and the strength of the Lord because you just can't do it on your own!
And on I could go about the reasons for today being "one of those days" but I need to get to my point - "To love their children..." While having "one of those day," I have been reminded of some verses in Titus 2 that I now understand more fully.
Titus 2:1-5:
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
When hearing or reading these verses, I never fully understood why the older women were to teach the younger women to love their husbands and their children. I always thought, "Why would anyone need to be taught HOW to this? Doesn't love just come naturally?" After being married for a few years, I understood that loving your husband does not always come naturally, but until today I really hadn't thought about how mothers need to be taught "to love their children." I now realize that I must work at loving my children and seek the Lord's help in this area.
I wanted to share my "Duh" moment with you for a couple of reasons:
1. I wanted to let all of you veterans of motherhood, a.k.a. aged women, know how much I appreciate your examples and words of encouragement, they have been a great blessing to me!
2. I wanted to help any other young moms realize they aren't the only ones who may struggle with loving their children on a daily basis. If you're struggling, seek the counsel of the "aged women" and the strength of the Lord because you just can't do it on your own!
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