The truth is, I've been
At least this love, a love exchanged between mother and child, changes my world...
In a conversation with my brother over the Fourth of July, he says, "I suppose having a kid makes you much less selfish, huh?" and I almost didn't know how to respond. Because "yes" is the obvious answer. Yes, I have less time to think about myself; yes, I care more about someone else's well-being than I ever imagined possible; yes, I often prioritize my child above my own needs....
But I honestly don't feel less selfish, because when I give myself to another, it makes me happy. It's a form of joy to be generous with one's self. And this is what I think God uses as the glue to keep a mother and family together. It's the same selfless joy I experience as a wife, giving myself to a union that has greater purpose than my own solitary life.
And this glue, this sticky kind of love, is the hope I have for every family God brings together, including my own. This love changes my world, every single day.
When I wake up each morning, I am reminded that I am not my own (often by the rustling and squawking of a 16 month-old next door waiting for his milk). I am reminded that I belong to a union greater than myself...a union created on the tenants of covenant and faithfulness and love.
And I aim to be mindful of this covenant I've made with my husband (just over 5 years ago) with faithful intention, dedicated to the growth of love within our family (even when that means quietly doing the endless pile of dishes and laundry). And when I forget why I chose this covenant, I have a beautiful, adventurous, inquisitive, loving, and (if I'm honest) adorable 16 month-old to remind me.
All thanks and praise be to God, the Creator of love that can change our world, one child at a time.
