Are You A Mom Overwhelmed In The Mess Of Motherhood?
If you’ve been following along with my blog for any length of time then you know that I have lots of posts about practical topics related to babies, toddlers, and parenting. I love sharing things I’ve learned along my journey of motherhood and these posts help me to make an income from my blog to support our family.
However, as I’ve tried to model my blog after other successful money-making blogs and focus on providing search-worthy and practical posts, I feel like my blog has lost a bit of its soul. SO, I’ve decided to make some changes to the content feed of my blog – beginning with this post!
(If you like all of my practical posts, don’t worry, they’re not going anywhere! However, in addition to practical parenting posts, I’ve decided to sprinkle in more posts about what I’m learning on a heart level as a mother – my HeartTalk series. The journey of growth in my heart is probably even bigger than the journey of what I’m learning on a practical level as I care for my kids, so I want to share that journey with you too!)
My HeartTalk this week is on a verse that struck me in Proverbs.
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”
~Proverbs 14:4
We recently moved into a new house and over the past several weeks I have been working hard to unpack all of our belongings and get the house organized and tidied. In fact, I found myself becoming stressed about any little thing left on the floor or displaced by my husband or children because I had become so fixated on keeping each room in order. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not someone who is generally obsessed with a clean house or who does a good job of keeping my house clean AT ALL! But while settling into a beautiful new home it was becoming something that I was uptight and anxious about.
I wanted a clean and peaceful house for my comfort, but I was so limited in my focus. I think God wanted me to shift my gaze beyond my immediate comfort.
I read this verse in Proverbs and was really struck by it. It may not be referring to households of children specifically, but it encouraged me as a mother of two messy toddlers and I thought it might encourage any of you reading as well.
I read the verse as a bit of an analogy for my life as a mother right now. If we didn’t have children perhaps my house would actually stay somewhat organized when I put things away or my kitchen counter would remain free from disgusting dishes for more than an hour or two. If our home wasn’t brimming with life, perhaps it would be a clean and Pinterest-worthy one. BUT, if our house was not brimming with life we wouldn’t be planting the seeds to reap abundant crops. The messy work yields reward – though I don’t claim to know in exactly what form that is.
Our manger is NOT clean. We aren’t often organized and as a mom I rarely look put-together. But in our messiness we are sowing toward an abundant crop.
There is a goal and reward for the messy labor.
I’m sure there are many other forms of “oxen” that this verse can be referring to, so please don’t find offense at my application only to mothers. I simply wanted to share how this verse encouraged me where I’m at in motherhood in case it encourages any other mothers who are wading through the same messiness of motherhood with me.
You’re doing a hard and messy work momma. But you are planting the seeds for an abundant crop.
