My Mom Mission

I just read a book review about a book on how to be a "missional mom" and find meaning in the role of a mother.  The book focuses on looking to serve God outside of the home in order to find fulfillment.  Now, I haven't read this book, and I realize that a review can be very slanted.  However, these ideas got me thinking: What is my mission as a mom?  How do I mark progress on a daily basis?  How do I make this job a truly fulfilling one? 


So, I need a mission statement.  I guess it would be something like this: I will seek God first and with His strength, put my family above all else, aiming to meet their needs in order to help them become people who are Spirit-filled, emotionally secure, and physically fit.

What might this look like?  First of all, I realize my role as a child of God.  I make Bible study, personal quiet time, and prayer a priority in my life.  I can't feel guilty about skipping a nap in order for me to go to Bible study, or about letting Will play quietly by himself for a little while.  I must be willing to obey God's call above my selfish desires.  (Easier said than done.)

Then, I think about my family.  I've written before about how my husband has to be a priority over my child.  So, I think about my role as a wife.  I must be willing to make time for us, to serve him by making healthy dinners, doing chores, and running errands during the day to take some items off of his plate, and to leave myself with enough gas left in the tank to be fully present with him after Will is in bed and we have time together to talk and share.

And what about the rest of the day?  What about those many hours when I'm just Mom?  When it's just me and Will at home together?  What makes those times meaningful?  What supplements the sense of fulfillment that used to come from my job as a teacher? 

I guess it starts with need-meeting.  I guess every time I cut up a banana and pour a sippy cup of juice, I'm meeting Will's needs and I'm fulfilling my mission.  Every time I change his diaper and rock him to sleep, I'm fulfilling my mission.  Every time I snuggle him and kiss his cheeks, I'm fulfilling my mission.  Every time I hold his hand and say grace with him and sing him a hymn for the umpteenth time, I'm fulfilling my mission. 

And if I think about it like that, at the end of the day, I can lay my head on the pillow and know that I'm doing all right.  I'm not perfect, but my little guy fell asleep for the night in my arms, content, secure, loved, happy, clean, and fed.  I'm laying a foundation for him which hopefully will one day be solid enough for him to jump off of and soar.

Whether or not I do so intentionally or even well, the truth is that I will show Will what love is.  I will shape his view of who God is.  I will model the way marriage should be.  I will set his expectations for how his own wife should behave.  I will set the course in his life for the type of man he will become.  I cannot think of a greater, more fulfilling mission than that.