Mothers With Purpose

If there was an Old Testament Mothers Hall of Fame, the Nominating Committee would only need to unroll the scrolls of first and second Kings and run their fingers up and down the records of the kings whose lives were penned there.

Interesting, isn't it, that when there was a Godly king on the throne, the name of his mother and the name of the city from where she came were both listed.  But when it was an ungodly king on the throne, the mother was often not listed (a few did make the list).

Why do you think that is?

Could it be a great reminder that God so highly values and works through the training a mother gives her children?  That He has purpose for mothers even in the days when it feels easier to pull on a brand new pair of nylons on a hot summer day than it does to instruct your child for the 95th time to NOT hit their sibling?  Or the days when you feel overqualified to be a contestant on the show Man V. Wild due to all the teenage hormones lurking about your home?

These Old Testament mothers weren't sitting by the flaps of their tent or moping about the palace feeling purposelessness (it IS a word, see Session 5 of the Joy Project coming this Monday night).

These mothers knew their purpose and ran after it in full pursuit!

Many days --okay, every day -- the repetitive motions of motherhood, the nail-breaking responsibilities, the hair-raising (or hair-losing) scenarios try to pull at our attention and keep us from focusing on the end result.  And some days they just plain 'ol throw a big, stinky shadow over the once-bright motherhood outlook in light of another outlook that appears to be shining so much more brightly across the street or down the road.

But for these Old Testament purposeful mothers, it all paled in comparison to the crown that was one day placed on the head of their son, to the mantle of Godly leadership laid across his shoulders.

The result of walking in our purpose is so much more rewarding than a set of 10 manicured (or, let's face it - dirt-free) nails, so much brighter than the muddy hand prints splashed all over the wall, so much more valuable than having a perfectly clean house:

A child grown and walking in their purpose.

Because i walked in mine.  Unpolished nails, dishevelled pony tail and all.

That's my pep talk to myself for today.  For sure, i'll be back to read it again this evening while drying myself off from my children's bathtime.  And again tomorrow after refereeing a match between my 2-year old's will and mine.

Daily seeking a greater dose of Purpose than a can of Pledge,