To be fair, mothers, I don’t think this is entirely our fault, this tendency to think we are the Ultimate Need Meeters for our families and children. Our job starts out this way.
As an expectant mother, my tiny child really is 100% dependent on me, and I am 100% required for his or her survival. The weight of it is on me, and there is nobody that can pick that job up for me, even for one minute, to give me a break.
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| My Weakness/His Strength: See the whole series here |
Then, the little newborn comes and we find (normally) that things don’t change much. We can and do meet those little needs, and the baby seems to think we are still 100% essential to his or her survival. And I welcome that chubby needy thing into my arms, and I hear a contented sigh just because the arms are MINE, and I am in love. I like to be the one with the magical powers that can soothe the precious little one when nobody else can.
Honestly, I’d like things to stay this way. I’d like my children to have small needs forever, and I would like to be the one who meets those needs, forever. In other words (brutal honesty!) I’d like to be their god. I’ll provide all things for them, and they will praise me, and all will be well in the world.
Now that these thoughts are on paper, I can see clearly: this is impossible. I can’t meet all their needs, even if I wanted to, and really, I shouldn’t want to. They have God for that. He is the only perfectly dependable and loving need-meeter. He is the one who will keep His promise to never forsake them, Who is bigger than the evils they face, Who will give them their daily bread.
God’s dependability, not mine: this should be the source of security for my children.
I’d still rather be the strong one. I still squirm when I am brought low and I know I need to ask the little people to forgive me and pray for me. But when I do, I see their little hearts soften towards me, and I see them grow and learn:
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| He is the Rock. I am not. |
Children learn:
- Mom can’t meet all of my needs all the time.
- Mom needs God’s help to do what she does.
- God serves me through my mom and other people.
- I can serve my mom by praying for her and helping her.
- When people are struggling, they ask God and others for help.
- When I see others having a hard day, I should pray for them.
- Even moms are human, and humans need Jesus.
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Do you wish you could meet your little one’s needs forever?
Have you ever received help from your little child on a bad day?
What do you think children learn when they see mom with her needs hanging out like this?
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