Being the Perfect Mother
So often, we as homeschool moms diligently compare ourselves to others. Even as Christian women in general, we want to be the Proverbs 31 woman every second of our lives, we want to always get it right. We read Christian literature and find ourselves wallowing in guilt for not being perfect like the author or the fictional character created by the author. We all *think* we know one…this Perfect Mom. We know what she looks like; she awakens in the morning to do her daily devotions w/ a freshly brewed cup of tea, she then dons her makeup and a cute little outfit (that fits just right on her cute little frame). She makes the perfect breakfast, and everyone loves it. She kisses her husband goodbye as he trots off to work, and turns her full focus to her children, who lovingly gaze up at her, cheerfully ready to do her bidding. They work side by side tidying their already immaculate home, singing in perfect 4 part harmony as they clean. They spend the rest of the morning nestled on the couch reading several chapters in one of many long books she has chosen to read aloud to them throughout the years. For lunch, she prepares a nutrious and delicious spread of food, much of which she had canned from her garden earlier in the year, and dinner is just as spectucular. She manages to juggle a house full of children, homeschooling, and all the household chores effortlessly. She never complains, cries for no reason, or acts selfishly. Her children rarely misbehave, and when they do, she always deals with them in a just manner, quoting the perfect scripture and smiling with tenderness. I will not be perfect. Not because I don’t want to be but because… Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This is a portion of an excellent blog entry written on the Raising Arrows blog. This has been such an encouraging and timely post for me this weekend. It is well worth your time to read. You will be blessed. Please leave a comment, tell her what you think and that you followed this link to get there. Please return and leave me a comment telling me your thoughts on her post.
Posted in Christianity, Encouragement, Family, Homeschooling, Train Up a Child
November 19th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Ah, it is soooo good to read God’s word and know that we can’t be perfect. PTL we have Him to wipe us clean every day!!
Valerie
November 19th, 2007 at 12:11 am
“PTL we have Him to wipe us clean every day!!”
AGREED!!!!
November 19th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I am almost finished reading Passionate Housewives and this said so many of the same things I was thinking after reading it…
Sallie
November 21st, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I did read this the other day. It is wonderful and inspiring. Thanks for the link. I am glad I can comment on it now.
The scary thing is that I am the total opposite of this perfect mom! lol. However, I do not find myself struggling to be this mom, but rather the Mom I feel the Lord is telling me to be. When I fail to hit *that mark* is when I feel like a failure.
Thank God He has kept me from wanting to be like so-n-so. I have enough struggle being who I know I can be but turn to other things many times. And, thank God for his mercy and forgiveness. He is ever-ready each morning to offer me a new day to become who he has created me to be – a guilt-free morning.
Thank you Kristine!
blessings!
-J
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:30 am
I think we often put pressure on ourselves (and each other) to be “perfect”, it is good to know that we can’t be and I am thankful for friends like you who are not afraid to let others see that you are not perfect. I don’t think the pressure would be so strong if more people shared their short comings and them encouraged and held each other up in prayer!
November 24th, 2007 at 8:22 am
MamaArcher,
Thank you so much for linking to my blog! I’ve enjoyed reading through yours as well!
The Lord is leading me on a journey that has already created unimaginable blessings! Realizing I am not perfect and never will be has been a huge step in the right direction. I am so grateful to know there are others on the same path–ahead of me, behind me, and walking right alongside me!
Blessings,
Raisingarrows
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/raisingarrows
November 24th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Raisingarrows,
you are so welcome, your post was definitely worthy of a link! I think you will find there are many of us walking this straight and narrow path with you!