Motherhood

I'm looking forward to graduating from SMBC on Nov 30th- after this date, I'll be free from college essays and exams for a long while.. who knows, maybe I'll go back to Bible college again? But for now, I'm glad for the break, especially the 2 month break before our baby is due. I'm clearly pregnant now, yet there are still people who ask me what I'll be doing after college. After explaining that I'll be devoting my time to being a stay at home full-time mum, some appear surprised and ask if I'm thinking of doing something else, especially with my Dip. Theology. This makes me wonder what people think about women who are full-time mums, especially Christian women with theology degrees! Do they feel that being a mum means I'm going to be wasting the two years I spent at Bible college? Or maybe that I should still devote a large amount of time to meeting with women, giving talks, serve at church otherwise my involvement in "real" ministry will decline?

I have to admit that at one stage, I did rethink my desire to become a mother. I was really enjoying the way that God was using me in teaching the Bible to others and didn't want that to change. I even said to J - maybe we'll just wait another couple of years? I'm happy to say that God has changed my thinking through wise words of good friends and through reading some good books too (like "A Mother's Heart" by Jean Fleming). Motherhood means that ministry changes but doesn't disappear. I'll still be teaching the Bible, but as a priority to my children first of all before anyone else. I think teaching Scripture lessons this year to a Yr 1 and Yr 4 class has helped me recognise just how much hard work it takes to teach the Bible to children in a way that they will understand- and to think that I'll be doing this every day not just one day a week!! To be completely honest, I think being a stay at home full-time mum will be harder than anything I've ever done before and a Dip. Theol. is far from enough to help me in this role!

What's interesting though, is that I remember my entry-interview for SMBC. They asked me why I chose the Diploma in particular and I said that I hope to be a mum someday soon and want to know the Bible better so I can be confident in teaching solid Bible truths to my children. Isn't it amazing how God works, that the bub is due after I graduate from college and being a mum is what He has planned for me in the immediate future?!

At a conference I attended this year (BLT+), one of the speakers encouraged us to pray for our grandchildren's grandchildren- that we would be concerned for the legacy that we leave behind, that we would pray for future generations to be passionate for Christ. I want this so much for my children and their children and so on, more than I want anything else for them- I know that this can only happen by God's grace, but also by my commitment (and J's) to devoting ourselves in showing Jesus to our children.

So with all of that said, a prayer to finish. A prayer for me, for all I know who have children and all those who will have children in the near future:

Gracious Father,

We praise you for being a good God who gives such good things to His children. The act of conception in itself is a miracle and we're thankful for the grace you show us in allowing us to be a part of that. As parents or soon-to-be parents, we ask for your Spirit to be working powerfully through us, that He might make us aware of the need to be loving in all of our actions, revealing Jesus to our children. Help us to be committed to being Jesus to our children in everything we say and do. And for our children Lord God, we ask that they would grow to be men and women who long for you and love you, who desire you with their whole beings, who are committed to following you with everything they have. We ask this not just for them, but for their children, and for their children's children.