“The joys of motherhood are rare and beautiful treasures that can be easily missed if we don’t seize the opportunity to grab them. There is nothing like the influence a mother has on her child.”

Ginger Hubbard 

There are days as a mother, where I am pretty sure the most remarkable and most adventurous things I do is manage to leave the house with all four of my little ones, dressed in clean clothes and shoes on feet. We won’t mention whether or not they are on the right feet or whether they are even matching shoes! Most of my days look the same. I regularly make meals, wipe butts, do dishes, fold laundry, wipe butts again, clean the floors that seem to get dirty before I can even finish, make beds, sing songs, read books, and wipe butts again. The tasks of mothering can sometimes feel monotonous and wearisome. 

Sadly, sometimes the simple day in and day out “sameness” of our days leaves us feeling discontent and joyless. Our thoughts begin to tell us that motherhood is insignificant. The mundaneness of our days subtly steals our joy and dampens our ability to dream, wonder and imagine. We find ourselves wishing away precious moments to teach our children all that is true, all that is good and all that is beautiful. We fail to see and seize those little moments as an opportunity to showcase the wonder and glory of our great God. 

In her book, “Learning Contentment” Nancy Wilson says, “But left to themselves, thoughts often go dumpster diving, digging through fleshly things, carnal things, earthly things, untrue, ignoble, unjust, impure, unlovely, and unkind things.” Discontent thoughts will hinder us from rejoicing over and celebrating the true, the good and the beautiful in our homes and in our world.  

The words we speak to our children even in those little years, by God’s grace, will echo in their hearts and minds as they grow older. Oh, how we can underestimate the influence we have over our children! From the moment we meet our children for the first time, we can teach them. Before we give them little fishes that are so delicious, we can give our children tools of truth perception to fish for wisdom and virtue, leading to a life full of flavor. When we sit them down to read a book and marvel at the storyline, we can teach them that all of life is a book, a living book, a narrative spoken by God himself, a sure word upholding every bit of reality that they will experience. 

In his book “Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning,” Douglas Wilson says, “We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our minds (Matthew 22:37). The command to teach children all the time is not limited to religious instruction. If our children do not think like Christians when they study history, math, or science, then they are not obeying the command to love God with all their minds.” Every interaction with our children can be coupled with a teaching opportunity. 

“We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our minds (Matthew 22:37). The command to teach children all the time is not limited to religious instruction. If our children do not think like Christians when they study history, math, or science, then they are not obeying the command to love God with all their minds.”

Douglas Wilson, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning

While we laugh and plug our noses, the dirty diaper encourages conversations about the aroma of life unto life, rather than the savor of death unto death. Calling for momma in the middle of the night after a bad dream turns from inconvenience to an opportunity to pray and be reminded of the Lord who is our light and salvation. Whom shall we fear? The faithful and mighty search for the lost lovie reminds us of God’s faithfulness as the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the lost and wandering one. And when he finds him, “He will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young (Isaiah 40:11).” We labor in our homes so that it may be a place where our children may meet Jesus.

What if we raised our children to see the world through the lens of wisdom and virtue? What if we seized every opportunity to teach our little ones about the radiant glory of God, so that they would see our world through the lens of God’s glory? Preserve and protect your mundane work as a mother so that you may create a home that offers a sweet and fragrant aroma of Christ.