Mom the Martyr
I had an interesting chat with a beautiful young mom the other day. She is a dedicated mother who is willing to put in the hard yards to parent her children in the way she and her husband think best. In the last six months she had been through a difficult time dealing with some baggage from her past and it had resulted in her putting her son into preschool when she had previously been convinced that the best thing was for him to be at home with her. While he was at school, she spent the hours on her bed, praying, thinking, reading, even napping. She took her health and her happiness into her own hands by seeking healing and time for herself. I think it is outstanding that she and her husband had the wisdom to realise that she is a vital part of their family and that at this stage, 'marginalising' their children for the sake of her health and happiness is actually the best thing for the family and consequently the best thing for those children. Just as in God's great wisdom, sometimes he says 'No' to us for our sake and sometimes he says 'No' to us for the sake of a brother or sister or for the sake of Him and His name, so too, families have to be wise with their 'human resources'. Sometimes one must sacrifice a little and another's needs must be put first. At the end of the day, because we are united, it always turns out for our good, too, even if we are the one that has been put aside for the sake of another. A happy mom makes a happy family, and we should never neglect ourselves for the sake of our children. Sometimes, yes, we will choose what's best for them at our cost and sometimes what's best for us at their cost. But we need to find a balance, with God's wisdom and prompting, because a mom that is a martyr is a dead mom, and there's not much good in that!
