Being a mommy of 3 boys is a daily adventure...a fun, exciting, stressful, but oh-so-worth-it adventure. There is no job more fulfilling than helping form and shape a little soul...to attempt daily to take part in the eternal job that God has entrusted me with. All the spilled cheerios, sticky hand-prints on the windows and walls, runny noses needing to be wiped, and endless diapers that need to be changed don't phase me anymore...I see them as just another need that I have the privledge of meeting. Yes, the whining and tantrums can (to put it lightly) "ruffle my feathers", but on a good day, I can step back and tell myself that "This too shall pass". I, once again, ask the Lord for patience and a renewed view of the "big picture", and I can breath a little easier and talk a little sweeter.
I say all this, not to diminish the fact that having 3 children ages 3 and under is a challenge...but to say that it is a blessing and I wouldn't have it any other way. I almost get upset when, almost daily, strangers who see me with my little family look at me with wide eyes and say, "You sure have your hands full!" It's almost as if they're saying, "What were you thinking...and WHY would you choose to do this to yourself?" My typical response is, "I sure do...but it sure is fun and so fulfilling." Those strangers smile and quickly leave, not realizing that their small comment, made by hundreds before, will make me feel sad for them because although they see 3 children as a "handful" or a "chore", I know the true happiness that being a mommy of 3 beautiful boys brings. What they might see as a curse is truly a blessing. What they see as a handful is really a "quiverful". What they see as a chore is really an honor. I know at those moments, I can once again count my blessings and thank Christ for all He has done and is going to do.
I will admit to anyone that there is no way I could do it without my Lord as my guide. He takes my hand daily...my ever present help in time of need. I thank Him as often as I can for the amazing life-partner, love of my life, best friend and soul-mate He has blessed me with. I am so proud to admit that I have the best husband ever...and I am not too proud to say that I could not do any of this life without him. We share in this amazing life journey together and will be thankful and blessed for all children he brings into our life. Though we will always have our "hands full", I would take that, any day, over having our "hands empty". Praise you, Jesus!
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My girlfriend, Kristin, who's also a mommy of 3 kiddos, ages 3 and under wrote this but it wouldn't post (so I did it for her):
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it any better myself! It is amazing how alike, but how different we are! :) Raising 3 so close together is amazingly crazy, stressful at times, but a blessing that God has trusted us with, knowing that not just anyone can do it. My usual response to "you must be crazy", or "you have your hands full" is yeah, but thats ok, we are happy, and we'd like more! :) I usually get a more sweet response after that... a little less judgemental anyway. I pray daily for strength, courage and patience when it comes to my family. I only get one chance to raise each of them right, and in a christian home. God has trusted us with this burden as some put it, but I too, see it as a blessing, and am thankful daily that Scott and I don't have an empty home. And, I couldn't agree more on having the help of a loving christian husband, who I couldn't do it without either. I am thankful, but stressed to admit that Scott has been working on his master's degree, and working full time so that I can still stay home with the kids. He has been doing 7 full days a week since August, and only has 1 day off every few weeks. Again, I trust that God knows what he is doing for our lives, and if it wasn't going to work out for us, that he wouldn't put us through the trials we face, you know?
-Kristin