A Seed of Sacrifice

Well, where do I begin?  I woke Friday morning wanting to bless my family with a big breakfast of bacon and pancakes.  This wouldn't have been a problem except for the fact that it created extra work.  After forcing everyone to help with the clean up, we all went about our daily task.

 

For some reason the baby was a little fussy and wouldn't go down for her usual nap.  She wanted to be held.   I decided to rock her and she had just closed her eyes when Drew came  bursting through the door and frantically ran into the bathroom.  This of course woke her up. 

My sleepless beauty

Not seconds later, he yelled, "Mom, I peed everywhere."  As I went to survey the damage, I found poop smeared down the toilet and covering his legs and bottom.  Great!  I quickly gave Isaiah the baby and threw Drew into the tub. 

Once I had him settled into the bath, I asked the older kids to keep an eye out for Drew while I went to make Myla's bottle.  We all could hear him singing as loud as possible so I guess no one bothered to see what he was doing in the tub.

My rotten cowboy who got  "creative" in the bathtub

Just a minute later, I returned with the bottle in my hand.  I was horrified to see that Drew had decided our wooden stool needed a bath.  He had it in the tub with a WHOLE bottle of shampoo poured on top of it.  It wasn't enough to have wasted the shampoo.  He had to put three towels into the water to scrub the stool with.  He managed to do this in just two minutes.  Really? 

I wish he had used his energy to find the bears

How was I going to survive?  I still had the poop to clean up.  I quickly called in the troops as I ran into the pantry to get the rags.  As I entered the pantry, I found dog pee on the floor.  What?  I wanted to kill the dog!  She knows better than this.  Help!

Once I mopped up the pee, I ran by my computer and noticed a pile of papers I needed to grade for the older children.  The pile contained 2 test, 1 paper, 2 science sheets, and one math book.  It was staring back at  me.  The papers were yelling my name as I scurried on the clean up the bathrooms. 

I couldn't believe that it was only a little before 11:00. I felt like I had ran a marathon.  I was in desperate need of a nap, the Word, or something.   I decided I would settled down with my Bible and feed the baby her much needed bottle. 

I read John 12:24:

 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

I die for my men



I will sacrifice for my ladies



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord isn't talking to mothers in this passage, but it is a scripture that has helped me keep my focus over the years for I have learned that with each child I need to die to myself.  I need to be a seed of sacrifice so that they can sprout up into a beautiful plant for the Lord.  A plant who serves the Lord, loves the Lord, and follows the Lord. 

 



Less of me and more of him

Father, help me to be a seed of sacrifice as I strive to raise Strong Oaks for your kingdom!  Help me to give as you gave...wholeheartedly!

For her, I give of myself