Thankful Thursday - May 7

Our assignment for Thankful Thursday this week is to talk about motherhood - which could be about you, your mom, or any mom you know. I'll talk about being a mom and how it changed the way I used to look at life.

My ideal life (looking at it from a twenty-something point of view) was something like this:

• I wanted to be a successful career woman.

• I wanted a husband but I wanted only one or two children, preferably a boy and then a girl.

• I would have enough money to live comfortably though I never wanted to be rich. I've always viewed riches as a trap.

Here's my life today:

• I am a stay-at-home mom who tries frantically to maintain a freelance writing career. Right now, the mom part is winning over the career.

• I have FIVE children, and the first four are boys. I had emphatically said no more children, and then the Lord surprised me with another - a girl. He always knows what is best for a person.
  

• I'm not even close to being rich, so that's not an issue. I'm rather poor in worldly things and money.

I've put my family first over any dreams I had for my life and I have rarely felt any regret. The only times I get to feeling sorry for myself and thinking that life should have been different are those times when I watch a TV show or movie that exemplifies the working woman with 1.2 children and a fantastic husband. I need to watch them less or not at all and read my Bible more.

Here's what the Word has to say about the devoted mother in Proverbs 31. Read it carefully and prayerfully and you'll understand why motherhood is probably the greatest job in the world.

As for the thankful part - I'm thankful that God gave me five blessings, not just one or two, because He knows what's best for me. I'll never be lonely.

"The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.

² "O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
³ do not waste your strength on women,
on those who ruin kings.

⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
Rulers should not crave alcohol.
⁵ For if they drink, they may forget the law
and not give justice to the oppressed.
⁶ Alcohol is for the dying,
and wine for those in bitter distress.
⁷ Let them drink to forget their poverty
and remember their troubles no more.

⁸ Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.
⁹ Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice.

A Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm^c]">[c] clothes.

²² She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
²⁴ She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." Proverbs 31 (New Living Translation)