Mother has many meanings. Obviously for the most part I don't fit these meanings. But I do think that I fit numbers 6 and 14. And sometimes I wish that was good enough for me. And I wonder if it is supposed to be. The Bible has some verses that deal with fertility or the lack thereof. One of these I came across recently was Psalm 113:9 which says: This verse makes me think. Does this verse literally mean that God will make infertile women the mother of many children? Or is it more figurative? Is God going to give barren women the opportunity to mother children? For instance I baby-sit for my job. Now I am by no means their mother as defined by the first definition, but I do nurture and protect (or mother) them while they are at my house during the weekdays. I'm not saying I am like a mother to them, only that I am mothering them while they are in my care. Is this a fulfillment of Psalm 113:9? I am keeping my house, and mothering children, even if they are not mine. As they grow older and eventually don't need me anymore (because while you need a mother forever, you don't really need a baby-sitter once you get to a certain age) I will undoubtedly have more children that I baby-sit, or I will start doing foster care. So I will still be keeping house and mothering children. Should I learn to accept this as the fulfillment of my desire for children? mother 1 (ˈmʌðə) | |
— n | |
1. | a. a female who has given birth to offspring |
b. ( as modifier ): a mother bird | |
2. | ( often capital, esp as a term of address ) a person's own mother |
3. | a female substituting in the function of a mother |
4. | archaic chiefly ( often capital ) a term of address for an old woman |
5. | a. motherly qualities, such as maternal affection: it appealed to the mother in her |
b. ( as modifier ): mother love | |
c. ( in combination ): mothercraft | |
6. | a. a female or thing that creates, nurtures, protects, etc, something |
b. ( as modifier ): mother church ; mother earth | |
7. | a title given to certain members of female religious orders: mother superior |
8. | Christian Science God as the eternal Principle |
9. | ( modifier ) native or innate: mother wit |
10. | offensive , taboo , slang chiefly ( US ) short for motherf***** |
11. | be mother to pour the tea: I'll be mother |
12. | informal the mother of all … the greatest example of its kind: the mother of all parties |
— vb | |
13. | to give birth to or produce |
14. | to nurture, protect, etc as a mother \ |
Last summer I decided that I was going to homeschool our foster daughters while they were on summer vacation. There were two reasons for this: 1) Two of the three girls were behind academically. I really hoped that by working through the summer we could help them get on track for the next school year. They left our house soon after school started, so I don't know how well it worked. 2) I don't allow my children much in the way of screen time, and these girls were accustomed to having TV and tablets in their rooms all the time. So they never really knew what to do with themselves. I figured school work for the morning would help with that dilemma. Choosing a curriculum was difficult for me. I know that some people bounce around and change curriculum a lot, but whatever I got, I hoped I would like enough to use the non-consumables with Little Guy. I don't like wasting money, and I hate the idea of some topics falling through the cracks because different curricu
Maybe your delay in having children is God's way of ensuring your influence in the life of those girls.
ReplyDeleteI adore the kids I watch, and I suppose if I in order to be around them I have to wait to have kids it is totally worth it!
DeleteHi Rachel ~ I can relate to what you wrote. When I was 18 I had a complete hysterectomy because of cancer. Although, I was told that I should be happy to be alive even if it meant I would never have children of my own, I was devastate! I had always dreamed of being a mom. Years (and years) later God blessed me with children through the gift of adoption. His timing was perfect. In the waiting I learned so much. I believe I am a better mom today because of it. I will be praying for you as you wait - remember, God's timing is perfect - even though we don't always understand it. I wrote a post that you might be able to relate to. I will include the link if you would like to read it. http://www.followingourleader.com/2012/11/05/is-god-enough/ I wish you God's riches blessings.
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