P.S. Snips and Whit

The ministry of motherhood may be misunderstood by some but not to the God- fearing mother. We understand the high- calling and are honored to play this role in our children’s life. We take note that this calling is actually a precious gift from God. We are filled with gratitude that He entrusted us with this responsibility.

With Mother’s Day in mind, this week, I have been reflecting on the joys of days gone by and enjoying the beginning of a new extension of motherhood as a grandmother. Nineteen months ago, Honey became my favorite name of all time.

Successful mothers are not the ones who never have a struggle – they are the ones who do not give up despite the struggle! This mother role could easily be deemed one of the hardest jobs on the planet but also one of the most rewarding. The saying – ‘There is no one way to be a perfect mom but a million ways to be a great one’ is certainly true. It is a lifetime commitment with extreme highs; days your heart could explode with joy and the lowest of lows when your heart breaks into a thousand pieces.

Some days as moms, we just didn’t get it right, other days our heart understood when our child’s heart needed a friend. God’s grace carried us through those long days but truly short years of motherhood. This is coming from an empty-nester, savor the smallest of moments or seemingly insignificant times, they hold the best memories.

I recently attended the baby dedication service of my 4 month old grandson, Boston. The words from the message, as well as, the Bible verses shared resonated deeply in my spirit. I wish to share some thoughts that I hope will help all of us mothers. To the Christian mother praying she is doing a good job and has what it takes to raise godly children who will become kingdom-minded adults, this is for you.

Psalms 127:3-4. Lo, Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; or (woman) so are children of the youth. The Bible compares children to arrows in the hand of a warrior. The child is only the arrow- you, mom, hold the bow.

Regardless of what modern day culture tries to get us to believe, every child is a miracle from God. But where our child(ren) goes or becomes is primarily up to us, moms. We are the archers with the bow that will launch our child on its course. Without a bow the arrow is useless in aiming itself to hit the marked target. The arrow is not nearly as responsible for its path or landing as the archer with the bow. By careful, determined and purposeful aim, the archer learns how to hold the bow, time the release, and maneuver his arrow for a bullseye land on the target.

How is your target determined? What is your long term prayer & desire for your children? What does God have in mind for them? This is decided in the early mornings, when mom takes time on her knees in prayer asking the Lord to order her day. Learning to follow God’s ways for ourselves, asking for wisdom that we need that only He can supply. Then we can better lead our little ones in the right direction. Consistently asking the Lord for his guidance and knowledge brings revelation on what is best for any situation.

All arrows are not created equal- The bow must be tuned to the arrow it intends to release. All children are not the same, what works for one may not work for another. Contrary to some modern day parenting manuals, there is one tried and true manual that will work for any situation and for every child. This #1 guidebook- our Bible, is the greatest source of encouragement, strength, problem-solving tool, ever written. It will never steer you wrong and what it teaches concerning discipline, works every-time when appropriately applied! Some children require more than others, but there has never been a child born that hasn’t needed the restraint or correction of discipline. Mothers, we indeed make ourselves look incredibly foolish when we try to rationalize with a 4 year old. Their minds have not developed to a place where they can exercise rationalized thought. They can, however, understand cause and effect.

When we align our focus and principles with the word of God, our vision of what our target is becomes clear. Our mental focus must remain more intense than any outside influences. The voice of determination for your child’s future must be louder in your mind than any other noise. Mothers we can not afford to push the pause button and wait for things to get better in this world. Schools and social media nonsense are running full speed ahead with indoctrinating children against biblical Christian values. We must continue with purpose as we focus on the target.

The difference in the arrow you are launching from the one of an archer is: Your arrow has an eternal soul. The arrow you hold today will be alive one million years from now. The soul never dies! The arrows we are launching will either be spiritually minded (life) or carnally minded (death). Aim with all diligence to ensure your voice and the voice of your Pastor’s is the loudest voice in their lives. Our children’s well being depends on it. Life or death: choose life.