One afternoon before a special occasion, I was ironing cotton dresses and shirts for church the next day. Six year old Mara watched for a while and then pointed to the iron and asked,
“What is that mummy?”
I laughed because I realized that this little girl had never seen me iron; I usually used the clothes dryer as my wrinkle smoother when I wasn’t looking for perfection but rather efficiency. Actually it was not just the iron that seldom received attention as I mothered a large family, something that I considered essential was eliminated from my life with the birth of every child.
Painting portraits went with Matthew. Other births gave the boot to crafts, dusting, bread making, interesting meals and laundry folding ( each child dressed out of their own personal laundry basket). As every mother knows, a newborn takes at least eight hours a day to nurse, burp, rock and comfort, bath, change clothes and diapers( at least ten times a day), and to wash diapers, clothes, receiving blankets, sheets and baby blankets as well as your clothes which tend to get covered in vomit, and other nasty surprises
Guess what?The lack of sleep leads to a rather narrow existence where the best days are when you can sneak in a nap or shower and dress before noon. Oh, those were the days when life was reduced to the basics.
Those basics were actually miraculous when I relaxed and allowed myself to live in the moment, enjoying my newborn rather than bemoaning all the important activities that I couldn’t seem to even start. The very fact that everything that my little one required to grow and thrive was inexpensive and near at hand was amazing. My baby didn’t need a lot of money spent on him, he simply needed arms to hold him, mother’s milk to drink and warm clothes and blankets.
A friend who had five children, couldn’t quite grasp my peaceful demeanour as I sat nursing a newborn with family life whirling about me. She finally surmised that I was content to enjoy the present experience of mothering a tiny, dependent newborn.
I think that I was given the gift of understanding that although I strove to run the household well, ultimately I trusted that my failings would be covered and hidden by Love.
joy of nine9 
Your failings did not need to be covered and hidden by Love because they were already blessed by Love.
LikeLike
ahhh,, good insight
LikeLike
I remember giving up life’s little joys for the greatest joy of all…holding a new child in my arms. There’s nothing like it! Beautiful article, my dear sister. 🙂
\o/
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Timely. As I looked overwhelmingly at the many posts with which to choose from my inbox, I picked this one. I am there, and I pray for the understanding that you were graced with. I fret so over the house as our latest gift (Joey), who will be one year old on the 15th, is growing rapidly. I pray for the trust that things will get done ~ if I put His kingdom first. Thanks Melanie.
LikeLike