I woke up in a whatever mood. Caleb was sick. He's 11 and doesn't like me much sometimes. I try to tell myself that it's a normal change and that when I was that age, I didn't like many people, either, but it still is hard.
To be honest, I've not always been the best Mom. I still struggle. I'm loud, impatient, and lose my temper way to much. I don't take time to listen sometimes, and I'll admit that I'm one of those parents that cater to his wants and allow technology to consume us.
In this pinterest, bloggy, social media world where we see the good in everyone, it's easy to beat yourself up as a Mom.
Whatever...
Not going there. As part of this 31 day writing challenge I'm concentrating on positive things.
All those whatsoevers in Philippians. In different translations, it may say "whatsoever things", "Whatever things" or "whatever is".
According to Strong's dictionary, whatsoever things is translated from the Greek word hosos, which translates as "as much as", "all that", "whatsoever things" or "whatever things".
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament words says that in other places it is used in the Bible it translates as "how much or how many" or "as great as".
Finally, my friends...
At last, my brothers...
If nothing else, beloved...
As much as all these things are true, pure. lovely, right, admirable...
Why would we not want to think on them?
When you're having a whatever morning like me, don't give in.
As much as I have been blessed. With all that I have been given, with all that I am...
Let me praise Him for the whatsoevers.
Whatever is true: I'm His Masterpiece. He loves me with an everlasting love. He has a plan and a purpose. He is still working on me. And I am not defined by my worst Mom moment (I feel like I read that somewhere... by something written... perhaps Lysa TerKeurst? Please don't get me for plagiarism. I'm just not sure where the credit goes).
Whatever is honest: I mess up. Sometimes I don't even like to be around me... just being truthful. But I love that kid, and I think he knows it.
Whatever is just: I was a horrible teenager. Revenge is sweet, and even though I don't believe in karma, I know sometimes my own sweet Mama thinks that what goes around comes around.
Whatever is pure: No matter how old my baby is, he'll always be my baby... and I'll always be his Mama. And what is more pure than a Mama's love?
Whatever is lovely: It's Saturday. The sun is shining. I am breathing. I can choose to make this day a lovely day by choosing my outlook.
Whatever to whatsoever... all these things... I'm thinking on them.
And when I change my attitude, guess what? It's contagious.
So, I'm going to go spread some love this morning...
Because His grace is sufficient. And I'm so blessed to be Caleb's Mama.
What a wonderful blog! We are so blessed to be a mother, to have our kids, no matter if they want us to be around, they will always be our babies. I have shared this story before, but when my daughter was little, I had a bunch of kids with me at the store, a lady started asking me something about my daughter, the lovely, petite, towheaded girl in the basket with the groceries, probably throwing things out... I answered something about her being a pill. the lady, who was Asian, admonished me for saying that. She said that I should be blessed for having her... I knew she was right, and I was ashamed of saying that, because truthfully, my daughter was so sweet and good, she was just a kid, doing kid stuff... especially bored kid stuff... any way, the lady being Asian didn't have anything to do with it, except that I remember what she looked like even 20 years later... My brother in law married a lady from China and we were talking one day, I shared with her the story about the lady. my new sister in law told me that in China, it is a blessing to have a baby. So many people have abortions, only wanting a male baby, and that women get sterilized after having a boy, because there is a large tax to have another child, and I guess hospital expenses are huge... anyway, she said, if you lose that child somehow, to accident or whatever, you are without a child and not able to have another. It made sense why the stranger would say what she did... and why don't we think that? We are a Christian nation, we should cherish all of God's creations, whether they are pills or not... It is our culture I think, to not appreciate fully what we have.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this! Makes you pause and think.