Monday, September 24, 2007

the list

A good Wife and Mother…keeps a tidy house; prepares home cooked meals for her family, preferably organic; spends quality, one-on-one time with each of her children; keeps up with the laundry; volunteers in her children’s classrooms at school; builds relationships with her neighbors; volunteers in her church; opens her home to friends; brings meals to new Moms; has endless patience; reads to each of her kids for thirty minutes a day; spends at least fifteen minutes decluttering her home a’la Flylady; gets plenty of exercise and takes care of herself; never has a headache; always remembers the soccer snacks; the list goes on and on.

And if you’re a working Mom, your list is even longer.

Ladies, is it any wonder we get tired? I don’t know about you, but according to “The List,” I’m a miserable failure. My meal plan includes the words “frozen pizza” at least once a week, and my laundry pile is endless.

I am on my knees this morning, praying for the strength to get through this week. Praying for situations that are hopeless unless God shows up. And I am reminded that God has not called me to be perfect, He has called me to be faithful. So today, I am wondering aloud, “What has God called me to do today?” I will pour my time and energy into those things, and let the results go. I suppose that’s the hardest thing for me. I can spend all day cleaning my house, and at the end of the day it’s still a mess. I can pour myself into my boys, but how do I define success? It’s not tangible.

What’s on your list today?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The three-year-old keeps my schedule. You are gonna have to check with her. Frozen pizza is food, right? They are lucky to have it, and you.

Andrea said...

I think you've got it all under control being that you don't have it all under control. (make sense?)
I have to lay my plans on the altar every day, too, knowing on my knees and in His Word is the FIRST thing that should be on my list. :)

...in the trenches with you!! :)

Anonymous said...

I love your thoughts, particularly as my women's Bible study has been considering this. Angela Thomas in her book Tender Mercies for a Mother's Soul says this about the "Lists" that we keep: "Within every area of my life is the opportunity to search for a list to live by: the list for being a great wife, the list for serving at church, the list for social acceptance. The possibilities are endless, and I hear their accusations trying to pull me away from the feast of grace. But God draws me back, and grace has the power to free me from all the unwritten lists that want to steal my joy and run my life. Thanks bet to God, grace makes life more than a list of rules to keep."

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

sleep and more sleep - except it's almost 12:30am and I have to be up at 5am - I think that's going to be a problem but I was determined to finish a post - I really appreciate your comments and will be very interested to hear what you have to say about the new post.

Llama Momma said...

thanks, Jenny!!

Andrea -- I know exactly what you're saying. And, yes, not being in control is exactly where I need to be.

SP -- thank you for the quote! That is my single, favorite mothering book.

Halfmom -- Sleep! Everything falls apart when we don't get it.

Unknown said...

Whoever made up this kind of list, and imposes it on moms should be shot - or at least have to complete the list every day. I think loving God and loving our husbands and children are the only important things in life.

What's that quote? The wash will keep but babies won't last forever. Something like that.

Michelle