I think of my children often.  About as often as I take a breath or have a heartbeat. They are in my thoughts and prayers like breathing. It is impossible for me to think about life without thinking of them. And although they’re grown now with lives of their own, the relationships that have been built between us, since conception, can never be severed.

Relationship that is built through kissing a “boo-boo”,

calming a fear, wiping a tear, changing a diaper; yes, even that;cheering a potty victory, binding a wound, serving a meal,

reading a bedtime story,

correcting a mistake and forgiving a hurt. All of these and so much more, build the relationships we have with our kids.

They may seem like never-ending tasks; and, truly they are. But if we start thinking of them as ways we BUILD relationship and trust with our children, we’ll begin to approach these menial tasks with more purpose and intent. Yes, my vantage point may be more clear than you moms in the thick of poopy diapers, but you can still glean from it and apply it to where you are now.

Let me start with a simple story. One day I was going about my chores here at home and I heard in my heart ,”Just as Leah and Rachel built the house of Israel, you are building the house of Hutchings”. Wow, talk about EPIC! I had run across that scripture once in Ruth 4:11 and its reference in Genesis 29-revealing the stories of Rachel and Leah, both, wives of Jacob who later became Israel. The scripture logged their childbearing wars and years but I had never thought of myself in such a light.

I thought “my kids are grown and gone- my building days are over”. In that second, every moment I had spent raising them came to mind and my heart was flooded with purpose, as my eyes were  flooded with tears. Right there, in the middle of those chores, I broke down and wept like a baby as the Lord revealed to me all the things that had been accomplished in building my house.

Leah and Rachel weren’t just for breeding, although, I have to confess, as I read the context of Gen. 29, I kind of got that idea.

But I saw that beyond giving birth they had to raise them, nurture them, teach them, train them, discipline them, feed them, love them and the list goes on and on. It is these things that build our homes and the legacy of our families. Generation after generation. And it is these things that build a nation.

I’m sure when Leah and Rachel were building their house, they didn’t see the epical outcome. They saw the daily tasks that, as they remained faithful to, built those 12 children that became the great nation of Israel and the generations we see to this day.

We are doing the same. We may not live to see those future generations, but we can invest in them through our children,leaving a mark in the future that bears the faithfulness of our commitment today. That, my friend, is purpose!

The feelings we have during pregnancy ; no, not the nausea and indigestion; or if awaiting an adoption….. the nesting, dreaming and preparing all go beyond the giving birth. We are building the future in our hearts before we ever see our children with our eyes, or hold them in our arms. Our hearts are seeing the legacy of our families, nation and culture through those children God blesses us with whether through birth or adoption.

My life was changed forever, by this revelation. I had always placed extreme value and purpose on my children, but now I saw ME, my purpose and value as “mother” change. Not as mother who is perfect or got it all together or as Prov. 31 woman or any of that. But simply the woman chosen to raise these beautiful people.

The woman who just showed up every day.

Every enduring moment when I pressed on instead of giving up.

Child rearing is hard and beautiful. Ugly and redemptive. Exhausting and exhilarating. Painful and hopeful. Full of regrets and full of joy. It’s the realizing of dreams and the death of other dreams. It’s the loss of what you thought it was supposed to be and the embracing of what it actually is.

I share this so that you, as “mom”, you, as “woman” can see the tremendous value upon you and in you. A value our culture has reduced to the point of genocide and seeks to redefine, in my opinion, under the guise of civil liberties.

The great legacy that we have been chosen to build is not about inheritance of money or property but the legacy of life, love and faithfulness. I share this so that when it gets routine, boring and thankless, you will press on and build the house of __________________ [put your name here].

 

Women, the bottom line is

 without you, the legacy, lineage and future of our nations dies.

And just as a side note, by no means less significant than the rest…….. when marriage is redefined, legacy & lineage die and future generations are cut off. THAT is the danger in redefining marriage. It is not a religious fight but a fight for LIFE ITSELF.

That being said….go forth….and BUILD!!!!

With much love!

Crisie