Beautiful, Challenging Gifts

Woke up to the smell of pancakes and discovered it was fast Sunday. It was easy for me to sit at the table while the little kids ate, listen to mom and Janelle talk, and not eat or drink. I was grateful. I thought about what I wanted to fast for and decided I would fast for dad and Michael. As I listened to Janelle talk about her husband, it occurred to me that once you get married you and your spouse are one. You are responsible for one another, there is no room for selfishness or miscommunication. You pray with and for them, you fast with and for them, you endure with and for them... everything is together, your life is shared with another, and will soon be shared with children as well. I think having children strips a woman of her pride, arrogance, selfishness, control, and more. It makes a woman humble, faithful in her Father, patient, and so so strong. Of course, we are not perfect and often times it takes us a lifetime to learn one concept or attain even one value. But motherhood is a great, great blessing, and a key role in our pursuit to perfection. As for what having children does to men, I am not quite sure. All I know is that it makes boys into men. I am so grateful for those beautiful, challenging gifts that we call children.