I've been thinking a lot about motherhood these days, being that I am one. Specifically, I've been thinking about how it says in my Bible that children are a blessing from the Lord. I was thinking this around 2:30 am a couple mornings ago, as my darling child was up at that time for the 6th night in a row. I was tired. Really tired. Not feeling blessed at all. How can something be a blessing but feel like a curse other times? It makes no sense.
So, I looked up the word "blessed". Definitions include "happiness," "to bestow good", "to extol as holy". At 2:30 in the morning for the 6th day in a row, I was not happy, did not have good thoughts, and was definitely not exhibiting holiness.
I looked up some verses in my Bible that use the word blessed. This one stood out to me:
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:1-3)
God didn't tell Abram that he was to be blessed no matter what. If Abram choosed to follow the Lord, THEN He would be blessed. I remembered something I have believed and said in the past. Anything worth having is worth paying the price for. Oh yeah. I did say that. I tell that to other people. To my youth kids. I forgot. A blessing will only fulfill its duty as a blessing if I've worked for it. Otherwise, it's just as worthless as garbage I happen to find along the road.
I remember a verse in Deuteronomy (I'm paraphrasing here). Basically, the Lord says to the Israelites:
"Today I put before you blessings that lead to life, or curses that lead to death. OH, THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE LIFE".
I choose life. I'll pay the price. True life is worth the price.
So, the Lord says to me:
"Jenny, leave the comfort of your bed at 2:30 every morning to be with your child. Change her many dirty diapers. Clean up her spit up every 5 seconds. Wash those bottles. And walk in the life I have shown you. I will make you into a great family. You will have a daughter that loves you and loves Me. Continue to pay the price for having a family. See the heritage that you are paying into. You are and you will continue to be blessed. "
I'll take that over a full nights' sleep anyday.
