Out of the "Rut of Motherhood" and into a "Rut with God"
By Love Fragola
Our calling in life has many duties, and as a wife and a mother, they are not always easy. God instructs us in Titus 2:4, "Older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands." As godly women, we are ALL trying to attain these principles. But somewhere along the way, we seem to get stuck in what I call, "the rut of motherhood". It is that unspoken feeling of emptiness, as if we have no more of ourselves to give… It is that constant thought running through our mind saying, "there must be more to my life than waiting on someone every second of the day, dirty diapers, and the repetitiveness of the word "mom" that makes you want to hide!" Can't I have a quiet moment to myself!? Is it too much to ask to use the bathroom (mind you, a necessity!) without someone barging in, banging on the door, or getting hurt? GOD, HELP ME PLEASE!!
Why must my children constantly test my limits, crawl all over me as to suffocate any of my personal space, and constantly push me over the edge? I often feel as though life is moving in fast forward while I sit here stuck in my daily routine where I find myself yelling and screaming, picking up, cleaning, making dinner, and whatever else calls for my attention. Surely God must have a deeper plan for me! Is it not enough that I am trying to figure out God’s will for my life, that I am also responsible for instructing my children to follow God’s will for their life, too? Not to mention teaching them to obey God, praying for them, asking the Lord to fill them with the fruit of the spirit, disciplining them, and most importantly, loving them unconditionally.
So I ask myself, "How do I get to the point of being content in my current situation? How am I able to see the good in my calling as a mom without always focusing on the bad?" I once read an article where the author stated that even on a dark and cloudy day, the sun still shines behind those clouds, ready to reappear again...and then it HIT ME, smack on the head! God is calling me to embrace this chaotic moment, to take a step back, and make a change in my attitude. My heart should be glad! Psalm 113:9 says, "He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother." My job is to receive these times of laughter and joy my children bring, to embrace those great big bear hugs and silly moments, and to fill myself with the LORD. These moments are a blessing in disguise! The Lord wants for all us mothers to dig deep within our souls and realize that He has given us the most important job - raising the next generation. Only He can enable us to do this, but we first need to fill ourselves with Him.
When we see our kids in those not so happy times, disobeying and acting crazy, remember how God dealt with his own people of Israel. Psalm 78:32 says, "But in spite of this, the people kept sinning. Despite His wonders, they refused to trust Him." Have you ever felt like your children are willfully ignoring the directions you give them? What was God's response to Israel’s disobedience? Psalm 78:38 tells us, "…yet He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times He held back His anger and did not unleash His fury!" Oh, how He kept coming back to Israel’s call for help! This is a great example of how God’s love calls us to react to our children. We need to have this same attitude and remember these verses so that we may call upon them every time our children deliberately disobeys or angers us. Eph. 6:4 reminds us "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord." The same holds true for us mothers.
We are not alone in this task of motherhood. God wants to be there with us. He wants for us to bring Him into our trenches where He will help us to grow in our faith, and to become stronger. During any one of my often chaotic days, I must remind myself to stop and employ the wisdom found in Psalms 81:1-11 which in part says, "I hear an unknown voice say now I will take the load from your shoulders and I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. You cried to me in trouble and I saved you." When I think there is no one around who knows how I am feeling, I try to remember that if I turn to Him, He will hear my cries and renew my strength. The Lord gives us patience with our children, the extra time we need in the day, and rest.
So when you feel that "mommy rut" sneaking up on you, remember God's still small voice - calling you to draw closer to Him. Mark 12:30-31 reminds us that drawing closer means "you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, all your mind, and all your strength." We should be grateful that God has given us these precious moments with our children, and they will not last for long. God has also provided great strength and wisdom in His Word to help us change our attitudes, and to become more positive. Make the time to start fresh each day by putting God first, and let His Word be carried in your heart through out the day. During this tough and difficult time of loving our job (when honestly, sometimes it feels discouraging and unrewarding), God promises that motherhood is one of the most rewarding jobs one could possibly do. I am honored that God has not only blessed me with my children, but that He has chosen me to carry out these very important duties on His behalf. Now I see motherhood not as a "rut", but rather, a blessing.
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