“For we are God’s fellow workers . . . .” (1 Corinthians 3:9)
With each stage of life we go through, if we allow Him, God will show us new aspects of His love for us. When I married my husband, Lee, I understood to a greater degree Christ’s sacrificial love, and since becoming a mother, I have gained an even deeper insight into God’s patient love.
When my oldest daughter, Brianna, was three, she loved to help give her two month old sister, Aubrynn, a bath. She would pull a chair right up to the sink (where we put Aubrynn’s little infant bathtub) and keep Aubrynn warm by dumping handfuls of water on her little arms and legs. Aubrynn, of course, loved the constant flow of warm water; however, this made my job more difficult and a lot messier. Brianna not only caused me to have to maneuver around her to get to Aubrynn, but her efforts also caused an occasional watery mess on the counter and floor. Without a doubt, I could have accomplished the bath time task much quicker on my own. As stress free as this sounded, it would not have come without sacrifice. I would have caused Brianna to miss out on opportunities that would shape her character. During this brief bath time, Brianna was developing a relationship with her sister, learning to care for her needs, learning responsibility, learning to follow instructions, learning to be a servant, and learning that she has value. Brianna felt needed and loved as she was allowed to help with these simple tasks.
How patient God is with us as he lets us be “fellow workers” with Him. God could accomplish His work on this earth perfectly without our help. Yet, because of his love, he chooses to use us to fulfill his plan. How sad it would be if we were just useless beings that had to stand still, be quiet, or move out of the way while God completed His work here on earth. Not only would we not mature or develop the skills God created us to have, but we would feel worthless and unloved. I am thankful that God sees the potential in me enough to use me. And, although it may make tasks more tedious, I pray that I take every opportunity as a mother to show my children this same kind of love.
With each stage of life we go through, if we allow Him, God will show us new aspects of His love for us. When I married my husband, Lee, I understood to a greater degree Christ’s sacrificial love, and since becoming a mother, I have gained an even deeper insight into God’s patient love.
When my oldest daughter, Brianna, was three, she loved to help give her two month old sister, Aubrynn, a bath. She would pull a chair right up to the sink (where we put Aubrynn’s little infant bathtub) and keep Aubrynn warm by dumping handfuls of water on her little arms and legs. Aubrynn, of course, loved the constant flow of warm water; however, this made my job more difficult and a lot messier. Brianna not only caused me to have to maneuver around her to get to Aubrynn, but her efforts also caused an occasional watery mess on the counter and floor. Without a doubt, I could have accomplished the bath time task much quicker on my own. As stress free as this sounded, it would not have come without sacrifice. I would have caused Brianna to miss out on opportunities that would shape her character. During this brief bath time, Brianna was developing a relationship with her sister, learning to care for her needs, learning responsibility, learning to follow instructions, learning to be a servant, and learning that she has value. Brianna felt needed and loved as she was allowed to help with these simple tasks.
How patient God is with us as he lets us be “fellow workers” with Him. God could accomplish His work on this earth perfectly without our help. Yet, because of his love, he chooses to use us to fulfill his plan. How sad it would be if we were just useless beings that had to stand still, be quiet, or move out of the way while God completed His work here on earth. Not only would we not mature or develop the skills God created us to have, but we would feel worthless and unloved. I am thankful that God sees the potential in me enough to use me. And, although it may make tasks more tedious, I pray that I take every opportunity as a mother to show my children this same kind of love.
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