A Blessed Mama Part 1 by Dawn White

A Blessed Mama

Part 1

Scripture:  "Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her."  ~ Prov. 31:28

Her children will rise up and call her blessed...isn't that the desire of every Mama's heart. And yet, there are days when I'm pretty sure that our daughters are calling me something, but blessed just isn't quite it.   The fact is that parenting isn't an easy job, and it's not always smooth sailing.  I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I have made many many mistakes.  And, with that, I have learned some tough lessons.  In this devotion, I'd like to offer some tips/ideas that have helped us weather the storms and emerge stronger.  

1.  Date Night - For several years I heard Dr. James Dobson promote this idea.  I always thought it was a great idea, but reasoned that there was no room in our schedule for me to take each of our 3 daughters on a date once per month.  Then we found ourselves in a 'parenting storm'.  I felt like I was losing touch with one of our daughters and so, out of desperation I began having a date night with each daughter.  That was several years ago and I can now tell you that it is a priority in our schedule.  Not only do I look forward to this one-on-one time with each of them, but they also look forward to having my undivided attention...even our 15 & 17 year olds.  Date night is something we all love and cherish.  

In order to keep it manageable, our date nights are fairly simple.  It doesn't have to be extravagant to be rewarding.   Sometimes they choose what we do, other times we decide together, and sometimes I will surprise them with something that I think they will really enjoy.  I'm reminded that our 8 year old, who was probably 5-6 at the time, chose to go to a Home Improvement Center and play on their playground equipment (it was set up for this).  Talk about a cheap date...but she loved it.

It is also during these times that they are relaxed and know they have your complete undivided attention.   Especially with our teenagers, this can be a time when I find out deep matters of their heart.  It provides a great opportunity to talk through hurts/stresses/issues/etc.  And because we love the gift of laughter at our house, we always have fits of laughter at some point on our dates.

As Mama's, our calendars can be so extremely busy and as we look at the month, a date with each child can seem overwhelming.  But for me, I believe this is a primary stepping stone for my daughters to reach a point where they rise up and call me blessed.

2.  Treat Their Daddy With Respect - I recently attended a pastor's conference in our area.  As I was observing the various pastors and their families, I noticed that there was one teenage son who was so respectful and attentive to his mother, and in public....according to many teens, that is NOT cool!  At any rate, I knew without a doubt that this attentiveness had to have been modeled by his father.   This young man knew that his mother was to be treated with respect and knew how to do that.  The reverse is true for us as Mamas.  We have to model how to honor our children's father, how to submit to him as head of household and our family leader.  

I understand that some are divorced, and you may no longer live with your children's father.  The necessity is still the same....as Mamas, it is still our responsibility to teach them how to honor him.  Perhaps their father's actions are such that honor and respect do not seem deserved.  There may be abuse, dysfunction, etc.  I understand that too....I have lived that personally.  The difference is this, you honor and respect the man for who he is - he is your children's Daddy.  You do not have to give honor and respect to his behavior/actions.  Your children need to see you treat him with honor and respect.  Because he is their father, if you bad-mouth him, you are also bad-mouthing a part of them.  But when you honor him, you also honor them.  

In 1 Peter 3:3-4 women are instructed about inner beauty, specifically in regards to their husbands.  It says, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel, rather let it be the hidden person of the heart,  with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."  It is a gentle and quiet spirit that honors.  Your children will surely call you blessed if you honor their father, whether he deserves it or not.

From my heart to yours, these are a couple of tips that have blessed our family.  In Part 2, I will continue to share ideas and lessons learned.  

Be Blessed, Dear Mama!