Called to Motherhood?

From chapter one in The Mission of Motherhood, by Sally Clarkson.

There are some big thoughts here... take your time- maybe read it over a couple times. OR get the book!


"God designed motherhood to be a deeply meaningful role. We mothers have the opportunity to influence eternity by building a spiritual legacy in the lives of our children. Through our teaching and infulence, morality can be learned and modeled,  love and kindness are taught and received, purpose and vision are ignited and passed on. ...

... I have come to picture the heart of each child as a treasure chest.

 Each chest is empty and needs to be filled with the riches of unconditional love, spiritual nature, and the emotional heritage of family and traditions; with mental stimulation that comes from excellent sources of truth, morality, and inspiration; with a sense of physical and emotional security; and with the guildelines for all of life, including purpose, relationships, and proper behavior. Each child whose treasure chest is full will have abundant resources on which to draw in the midst of life's demands.

And yet over the years, I have come to realize something else about my role as amother. As important as my role is, and as important as my children are, they are not to be the center of my life, and my central calling is not to motherhood. That would only make for very selfish children, but it could even become a form of idolatry.

My calling as a mother is the same as any other Christian's: to fulfill God's will for our lives and to glorify Him. This means I am to follow the Lord's design for my marriage-- cleaving to my husband, supporting him, honoring him, loving him as my own flesh. I am to be a careful steward of the world in which I live. I am to seek opportunities to bring God's message of redeption to others, to make full use of the gifts and talents he has placed in my life to bring him glory and further his kingdom. And I am to delight in him and worship him and praise him in whatever circumstance I find myself.

But that's just the point. Because God has blessed me with a husband and children, a part of his call to me is to follow his plan for families. And that means that I am to shepherd the hearts of the children whom he has providentially placed in my care. I am to care for them tenderly and to prartener with God and my husband in leading my children to know and love his Word and to follow his will.

This design doesn't mean that I have to lose myself in my children's lives. On the contrary, following God's design for living is the true key to finding myself--- to becoming the person he had in mind for me all along. And saying yes to the mission of motherhood has certainly not meant giving up my ministry. To a great extent, it is my ministry.

I will grow into the kind of person God wants me to be as I live out my life in faith and seek to be faithful in my walk with God; as I nurture and honor my commitment to  my husband and children and family and home; as I exercise my skills, training, and gifts toward those whom God has placed on my path; as I seek to give to the poor and minister to the needy and those in my neighborhood and church while living a life of bold faith in great and wonderful God. At the same time, my children, in the context of walking with me through my life, will gain a clear model of how they can live as well.

... The mission of motherhood is strategic in providing the next generation with wholehearted, emotionally healthy, spiritually alive adults. It is not simply a lifestyle choice. It is a diving calling that will indeed affect eternity. "

celebrating six years of motherhood

I was beginning to write this earlier today, and a sweet 2 year old came to me, and asked, "Mommy, play with me?" How could I resist, so here I am, a couple hours later, and all my original thoughts gone with the wind.

My oldest recently turned 6. That means I have been a mommy for 6 years. Wow. Today, I am blessed. I have not always felt so joyful or at ease with having that title. For years, I always answered that question, "So what do you do?" with "I stay at home with my kids, but I am a teacher, or and I am a substitute teacher, or when the kids get older I'll go back to work." I felt insecure with soley being a stay at home mom and home maker. I needed to tell people that I am more, that I am educated, I am able.

I used to be one of those people who thought that women who stayed home full time were wasting their skills and abilities, their training and talent. I used to believe that I would be able to work and mother, and "do it all!" I used to believe that that was important. However, even when I was in college and university, I would say, "I don't know if I'll teach full time, I just think education is a good degree to have if I wanted to do other things too." Even then I think that I knew that classroon teaching was not what I wanted to do.

We have chosen for me to stay home, for me to be teaching our kids, for us to survive on one salary. This was not something we knew would happen when we had kids. When we had our first, we thought that I would work again (and I subbed up until we had our 3rd child). These are not things that my husband has forced on me. This has been an evolution of philosophy for me.  All of these are choices, and they are not easy ones. They require sacrifice and discipline. But they are worth it.

The last year I have especially grown into the comfort of my own skin and beliefs. I am finally able to say that I am a wife, mother, home schooler and home maker with pride. This is what I am supposed to be doing right now. And most days I love it. I love cooking, creating, thrifting, teaching, relating, supporting, and mothering.

What I am doing used to be the norm. It used to be a wonderful thing to stay home with your kids, and take care of your family. A woman who just just a mother used to be called, "blessed."

The past 6 years has been a period of incredible and amazing growth for me. And I would not have experienced this if it was not for my children. I am blessed.

This is a book I have just started reading. Looks like a gooder so far :)

more mission of motherhood

The radio broadcast by Focus on the Family by Helen Lee impacted me so much that I listened to it again this morning. But today, something different hit me. 



"Motherhood is (yes) about investing in our children, (yes) its about investing in our families but there is a greater purpose--- so that we can be living out as individuals, as a family God's mission for us as a family to be able to impact the world around us.

Sometimes we focus so much on the first part of the purpose for moms- to pour everything into her kids and family that we forget the reason why we do that--- the greater purpose. It can become idolatry--- we put our family first. God is first and His mission should be first in our lives. We need to check ourselves to make sure we are not becoming a person who is placing their family so much a priority that we forget about God's purposes and God's plans for ourselves and our families.

Your home and family is not something you invest in for its own sake--- you invest in it so that your home can become a base from which you are sent out as individuals and families. Instead of home being a lovely haven which you can enjoy, think of your home as a place you are sent from... to reach out." (for more on this idea see a fresh look at hospitality)

I also found this amazing blog by Helen  Lee... check out

The Missional Mom blog

Becoming a mom with a mission

I listened to a radio broadcast by Focus on the Family the other day that I really resonated with. It was refreshing and encouraging, very counter cultural- but I totally agree with what Helen Lee said. She was talking about how being a mom is so much more than we think... its about raising missionaries.




Motherhood is one of your callings in life- but it serves God's larger purpose for your in your life. Motherhood is one of the ways that you can live out God's calling to be His witness and disciple maker in the world. There is a larger purpose for what God has intended for you as a mom, and for your children. There is a higher purpose- raising and supporting these missionaries that you are raising.


 We are raising disciples and missionaries!! When I think of parenting from this perspective it both energizes and terrifies me. What an amazing responsibility God has given me to mold these children to be His servants. This perspective really makes my look at my day and say- "Did that really matter?" "What did I do to eternally impact my child?" "Did my kids see Him in me today?" "What am I doing to teach my kids about serving others?"


When I think about raising disciples and missionaries, I think about how I am showing the children the world around us. "Am I pointing out needs in our neighborhood?" "Am I raising them to know how powerful they are, even as children?" "Are we teaching them compassion for those in need?" "Are we teaching them the power of His Word?"

Today a team of KIDS, ages 8-12 leave from our church to go on a missions trip to serve another community for the next few days.  I will be praying for these kids as they are using their gifts and abilities to serve Him.

As I think about becoming a mom who is not just trying to get through the day,I will be praying about how I can be raising my kids to be disciples and missionaries.