Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Jan/85

Contributor - Jane Spyker

Title - A Taste of Motherhood

Topic - Parenting

When most people think of motherhood today, they often think of runny noses, dirty diapers and 2:00 a.m. feedings. But we mothers know that there is much more.

It's true: there are embarrassing moments. There are also some frightening moments. I remember when one of my children decided to go for a walk with our dog. She was only two years old, and when I did not see her playing in the backyard I became quite frantic. The neighbours helped search and it was our neighbour's son who found her, quite a distance from our house. But like we taught her, she refused to get in the car with him. So he came back to where I was looking and we went together to get her. What a relief to hold her in my arms! It is a relief only mothers know.

Motherhood offers many reasons to worry. I worry about who my children will choose as friends and the different things they will encounter each day at school.

Mothers need patience. How often does a mother finish cleaning the bathroom when someone hops into the shower and it is back to the same old mess? Or have you ever noticed how a simple after school snack can turn the kitchen into a disaster area?

Even so, mothers are some of the most fortunate people in God's world. There is so much motherly pride to see your children take their first step or say their first word. It is always a joy to see my children in Sunday School plays and memorizing Scripture. There are the times when they bring home handfuls of buttercups or dandelions, picked on their way home from school. It is their way of saying "I love you Mom". These flowers always get a special place in our home - bugs and all!

But as my children get older, it seems harder to show the love I have for them. When they were young, it was so easy to reach out and hug them. But when they are older, it just does not seem the thing to do. I welcome my children home for school with a warm smile and a plate to cookies to say, "It's nice to have you home".

A mother expresses her love by making sure that everyone's clothes are clean, by cooking special meals and keeping the house presentable. So often people consider these things merely a mother's duty rather than a way of expressing love.

Most importantly, as a Christian mother, the greatest reward is seeing my children grow up loving and serving our Lord. I would like to thank the Lord for my family - and especially for letting me be a mother.

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