Encouragement For Mothers: Patience

In honor of mothers day, I would like to share a thought that has been close to my heart for the last few days:

"Why is my patience conditional?"

My relationship with Christ is not conditional.
My relationship with my husband is not conditional.
Therefore my relationship with my children should not be conditional--and one of the most tangible ways a mother demonstrates her love for her children is through patience. Yet I find myself often losing my patience with my children based on factors or conditions that arise throughout the day. Perhaps my daughter dumped out the box of raisins or perhaps my son decided to unroll the toilet paper into the bathtub only to make a wet sopping mess. Even though I have to address them as an authority and correct their behavior, it should always be done through NEVER ENDING patience. How I wish that were the case, because I am ashamed to say, that is sometimes (more often than not--wince) not my resulting attitude.

God handles us, his children with never ending patience. He is perfect at it because he is 1) God and 2) fathomless in all that he does. So since I am called to have a Christ-like mindset and heart, I want to follow in my Father's footsteps. I want to stop losing my patience and start gaining it!

This was my cry last week when life and motherhood were not going my way: "My patience is wearing thin. My patience is wearing thin!" I was frazzled and my children had a front row, interactive seat.

Then the Lord spoke to my heart and He helped change my mindset. This became my prayer: "Lord strengthen my patience, deepen my patience, let it not be conditional. Let my patience be ever growing and steadfast. This is how I can be a good mother to my children." With this prayer filling my heart, my patience suddenly was not a conditional thing, something that swayed with the tides of my emotions. It became steadfast and solid, something my children could depend on as I loved them and nurtured them throughout the day. Then, even when trials arose, I was calm in addressing those trials. I want my little ones to look to me for refuge and stability and they should be able to rest in the security of my patience.

I'm still working on it, but I am determined to hold myself accountable for my behavior and temperament by trying to overcome the little things throughout the day that try and throw me off course. When daily life begins to escalate, and the teakettle of my heart is close to boiling, I don't want the result to be a steaming, fuming mother for my children. I must pause for a moment, remember to pray my little prayer and allow God to do his work in my heart.

Blessings to all you mothers out there. The Lord is watching over you and your little ones. Lean on Him and let Him be your pillar of strength.