It Takes a Mama...

I woke up this morning after a restless night of sleep, burdened for the little ones of our society who are growing up without mamas - not actual orphans, but victims of society's lies that women are more valued and more valuable outside of their homes than inside.

Our precious little ones, who we only have for a short season of life - they need us! By God's design, they need us for nuturing and attention, teaching and disciplining, loving and learning. We need to take the focus off of ourselves and our goals and dreams, and understand that we are just a drop in the generational bucket... and when we forsake our primary duty to serve the Lord through diligently raising our children... we hinder the next generation! I am amazed at how commonplace the belief that handing our children over to others to raise is "no big deal" and sometimes even "beneficial"! These aren't pets or inanimate objects - children are human beings! With precious, innocent souls, needing the utmost of care, attention, and love to develop, grow, and learn about God's tender mercies.

I remember speaking with a woman once who expressed how glad she was to have put her newborn into daycare, because he was getting so much more "stimulation" than he would at home with her. She explained they had bottles with sparkles in them, designed to help him focus his eyes and track movement. Oh, but to the contrary! Making eye contact with his mama while nursing at her breast, watching her face as she spoke, sang to, and loved him would have been the best and only stimulation that sweet one needed.

This post from The Welcome Home Blog was so beautiful, I had to share. Where the feminists of the world are saying there "more important" things women could and should be doing... this post really hit the nail on the head about the true importance of a mama:

I don’t get out much… some, but not much. And, for the most part, I like it that way. O, don’t get me wrong: I love to go places, I love to do things and I love to see new things. But I love being home. When I do go out… I sure see why it’s important for me to be here… at home, keeping the home and caring for each one and each thing here.

I love keeping our home and I love home-work. I love making sure that home’s home. O, I know that anyone can clean houses, make food, clean it up and make more food and clean that up, too and do it over and over and over again. I know that anyone can put stuff in the washer, move it from there to the dryer, put more stuff in the washer and do the same thing over and over and over again. I know that anyone can supervise the existence of children in a home and maybe even teach them things, too. I know that anyone can tidy up, dust, vacuum, sweep, wipe, mop, and turn lights on or off in a home. I know that anyone can bar a door from intruders and anyone can uphold a schedule and order.

But it takes a mama to make a home home. It takes a mama to care for the things of a home. It takes a mama to care for the apparel and appearance of the children and husband in her home and it takes a mama to care for the quality of the food and the presentation of the meals and the appearance of the table and the conversation that happens there. It so matters what goes on them, what goes in them and what goes on around them.

It takes a mama to remember the nuances of life… the candlelight and the music of life — to share the yesteryears and stories of generations gone before. It takes a mama to remember the preferences and particular idiosyncrasies that make up each child’s unique personalities and to really care how those children feel and how their character is shaped. It takes a mama to genuinely attend to a nursling, a baby, a toddling child, a maturing son or daughter and all the needs each age and each season brings — it takes a mama to anticipate what the changes will be and what they’ll necessarily require. It takes a mama to care about a rash, a fever, a first step, a composition, a heartache, dental appointment, a physical exam, pictures on the fridge, a skinned knee, an awkward incident, a disappointment, an accomplishment…

It takes a mama to set the tone, the order, the routines, guide the activities and make the sweet memories of the home. It takes a mama to demonstrate God’s precious and specific order for one of the halves of His creation. It takes a mama to show what the Word says… to demonstrate the living Word of God in word and in deed. It takes a mama to hear the heart of her children — and to care what’s going on in each heart. It takes a mama to teach a child to pray… and to listen to the LORD. It takes a mama to do all that matters (and a mama knows it all matters… a lot).

It takes a mama to make a home sweet and it takes a mama to give a home a heart and it takes a mama to make a home a wonderful place to remember and a dear place to long for. It takes a mama to be a real sweetheart for her husband and the first sweetheart of each of her children. It takes a mama to make a home a journey, a launch-pad, a destination and a desire.

When mama’s not home… the home has no heart ♥ and there’s really no-one to look well to the ways thereof. God’s clear design is marred and distorted when mothers lose sight of, or disregard, the inestimable value of motherhood… when women choose lesser things.

H♥me. It takes a mother’s kiss to make some things all better. It so matters when mother’s there. And it so matters when she’s not.