Unpopular: Serving Your Children

Am I a doormat?  Sometimes we mamas wonder this.  

I make food.  

I pick up clutter.

I calm fears.  

I wash clothes.  

I educate.  

I scrub.

I solve problems.

I do what no one else wants to do,

or remembers to do.  

I serve.  

Jesus came to serve. He modeled serving in a way that blows my mind.  He washed the disciples' feet.  It was one of the lowest tasks and to think of the Son of God, scrubbing the crust off of regular folks' disgusting, stinky feet is mind-boggling to me.

That's what I want to emulate.  

It seems to me that serving goes back to my attitude, rather than how my family treats me.  When I approach each task with Jesus' mindset, serving isn't so revolting.  

I've been thinking about serving my children.  It's not a very popular line of thought:

Serving our Blossoms right now looks like:

~ graciously picking up feed from the Mill when they accidentally underestimate how much we needed.

~ finding ways to lighten the load when time demands are higher.  Sometimes that means I'm scrubbing a floor or cleaning a bathroom that I don't normally have to clean.

~ keeping the gallon of green tea on the counter full, because Blossom2 loves it.

~ staying up late while a Blossom finishes an important assignment, just so I can bring over a cup of tea or help her stay awake.

~ washing her favorite water bottle.

~ scrubbing a favorite, stained mug.

~ rebraiding (again) the front braid that is helping Blossom3 stay sane while she grows her bangs out.

~ stopping what I'm doing to help find a missing article of clothing or possession.  

~ dropping off her package that needs to be returned.

There is a time and a place for me to stay out of situations so that they learn responsibility or learn a lesson.  I'm always training and teaching so the girls can handle more responsibility and master more life skills.  The Lord gives me wisdom and discretion.  

I'm just finding that the Lord gets to the heart of the matter with me and nudges me to serve.  Sometimes they're appreciative and sometimes they don't notice.  

Either way, through love, I will serve my family.

"...through love serve one another."

Galatians 5:13, NASB