Psalm 16: 5-11
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in
pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
with him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
What a beautiful Psalm full of glorious promises! I love verse six especially; "the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places''. How often do we express thankfulness for the boundaries in our lives, the limitations? I would think, not often! It almost seems a strange thing to be thankful for. More often we yearn for release from the limitations we experience and desire to see what life is like 'on the other side' the classic, grass is greener mentality.
The thing is; whatever we are doing, whatever season of life we are in currently, it means we are unable to do or be something else because of it. For example; if we are single, we can't experience what it is like to be married at the same time (actually lots of people do, and things become very messy, but that is another post!), If we are working full time, we can't study full time, if we are living in Europe we can't live in Australia. It seems obvious doesn't it? Certain choices we make, or situations we live in, are going to make other choices and situations impossible or prohibited. In my observation we, as people, seem to chafe at these kinds of restrictions, as common sense as they are. Always wanting what we can't have, always desiring the forbidden.
It's not necessarily that we desire things that are bad in themselves, just bad timing. I find this idea is very pertinent to motherhood. Choosing to be a wife and mother as I have, choosing to stay at home to raise three small children means that there are a great number of things I cannot do because of it. I cannot sleep whenever I want to or read a book whenever I want to. There are masses of chores constantly needing to be done; basically sapping up any spare time and energy that there might be to do anything else. By the time bed time rolls around, I don't really want to do much other than loll about on the couch.
Sigh. Woe is me. If only I had more free time, oh what wonderful things I would do. I could write in peace, bake uninterrupted, do some cleaning and organising at my own pace without someone undoing everything I did. I could pop out at any time to go to the shops or go out for coffee. I could study, or get a job where my skills would be valued and honed. I could take a little nap and not wake up to someone crying or wanting something from me. The list of what I COULD do without children could really go on and on.
The thing is. If I had more free time (i.e. no kids) what is it that I would REALLY be doing that is so great? When I stop and think about it, in those moments when I imagine that I would be so productive without the kiddies, I know that I am fooling myself. If I didnt have kids I would be much less productive than I am now. I would waste time and procrastinate, become more lazy and probably depressed.
You know what? Being a Mum is the BEST thing for me. It is what the Lord has ordained for my life and he is working through me not only to love these precious children, but to conform me into his image more and more. For me, there is no better way he could do this than by being a wife and mum. I have been blessed with this season, these limitations, these boundaries. And I AM grateful for them. I am so glad I don't have all that free time to 'do whatever I want' because frankly, that doesn't really exist anyway! The enemy would like us to believe that there is some perfect state of being beyond what we are called to do in this moment. As long as we are striving and longing for that elusive 'something else', we will continue to lose the moment we are in.
I love having kids, even if I am woken up six times a night. They are alive. I can care for them. It is a beautiful thing. I know God will continue to empower me to do this task and I believe he will continue to enlarge my capacity to do more, even in this season with children. But I want to do things as he calls me to them, not in my own strength or timing.
I am thankful for this life. My calling to live as his daughter, to love those entrusted to my care wholeheartedly and with JOY! Imagine that?! Being joyful! Hey Mums, next time you are at playgroup or chatting with another mum somewhere, why not talk about the things you LOVE most about being a mum rather than the most frustrating event that has happened in the past 24 hours?! We are all guilty of this, for some reason we think that is what people want to hear about. Seriously, we don't! Of course we all need to have space to share the tough things, but how about sharing the joy and fun that also comes in every 24 hour period of being a mum?
Why focus on the negatives when there is so much to be thankful for? Your limitations and your boundaries aren't there to burden you, they are there to help you live life to the full! Be thankful today for what you cannot do because it means you can wholeheartedly enjoy that which you CAN!
