Motherhood

Last night was a long one. Audrey was not feeling well & just wanted to be held. As soon as I would get her down & get back to sleep, she would be up again. I must've prayed for hours last night, "Lord, help me to comfort her" "Lord, give me wisdom to take care of her", "Lord, give me patience to get through this night".

I changed her diaper, took her temperature, wrapped her tight in her blanket, fed her....nothing was working. Finally, I curled up in our soft rocking chair & put her in my lap & we both drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours.

As I sit here, totally exhausted & dragging you know what, I have to thank God for once again being faithful. Not once last night did I feel overwhelmed or want to give up (although I did want sleep). One of my biggest fears when I was pregnant was that I would get overwhelmed & not want to take care of my kid (I know it sounds silly but it can happen so easily). Not once did I feel anger towards her or want to put her down... I just wanted to make it better for her.

I realized love like that can only come from our Heavenly Father.

Children are the closest thing we can do to understanding His love for us. Often times I wonder, how can God love me?... I don't deserve the things He's done for me.. or why would He continue loving me after I doubted Him or was angry with Him?

His love is unconditional & perfect. Although our love will never be perfect, I think he uses parenting (Fathers included here) allow us to see how He feels about us because its how we feel about our children.

I know that I am probably rambling a bit or not making much sense but I found this "job description" for mothers online & I thought it was fitting:

MOM - Job Description
POSITION:Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy
JOB DESCRIPTION:Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION:Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION:Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and this wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS:While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Skills & Qualities required by the Job
The following qualities are absolute essentials:-
* Love * Patience * Kindness * Gentleness * Long-suffering * Energy ** Imagination * Sense of Humour * Social Skills *

The following list are useful, but are often learnt 'on-the-job':-
* Managerial & Organisational Skills ** Planning * Leadership * Diplomacy * Catering *
(And, of course, whilst it is not required for the mother to worry, most do! A healthy concern is probably a prerequisite for successful motherhood!)