“Her Children arise up and call her blessed” Proverbs 31: 28a
A day in the life of an ordinary Christian mum
‘Jack, you really shouldn't carve my dining room table.’ I said in a mild voice as my son whittled away at my, admittedly rather battered table, with his butter knife. It was an ordinary morning in the October half-term in 2006, Jack was 9 at the time.
I turned to see William, our 11 year old about to flick a cheerio, at Jack and as he took aim,I gently got his attention. He had the grace to look at me and smile guiltily. By which time Jack had taken the advantage and flicked the cheerio at William! Meanwhile Timothy, 14 months finished his weetabix and stood up in his high chair, precariously teetering, as he yelled for more food. Timothy, my walking dustbin, who loves breakfast. I give him a croissant. Jeremy, almost 5, seeing the croissants has developed an instant dislike for weetabix, which up until now he loved! Breakfast in the Phillips household, happy mayhem!! Ross escapes to work: in fact he made a very hurried departure this morning because he burnt the croissants and was feeling condemned and rather hurt by the baleful gazes of his wife and eldest son.
Racheal, my niece who stayed over the night nibbles daintily, like a well brought up girl, on her croissant and then says something in her loudest voice: Princess Foghorn had come to sleep over for the night.
It was great: I got my pink fix because I put make up on her that morning! Well, being the mother of 4 boys, I need to get my pink fix when I can!
By 10:30 my garden is full with about 5 more children from the neighbourhood, so the total number of children on my property is 11, which is a small number: the day before yesterday there were 16. Please bear in mind I live in a mid-terraced 3 bedroom house with a postage stamp sized garden! I just hope that the children that are congregating here are attracted to my home and family by the magnetism of God through the irresistible pull of Jesus in us! I want us to be a witness for God.
11:30 and the door bell goes, Simon and John, William twin friends from school have arrived for their first ever sleepover. Please God let them have a good time with us today.
We are an ordinary family living in an ordinary street with God’s extraordinary seal on us: Jesus!
My house is permanently a mess, I am very bad at keeping house: I am bored by the hum-drum of housework and cleaning. I think I am brilliant if I am up to date with the washing. But, I would rather have a messy house filled with love and laughter than a perfect, empty house. Yes, people might think we are messy and disorganised. Yes my boys fight and argue, yes, things go wrong. Some days, I am grumpy and argumentative and don’t feel like being responsible for all these children, but those feelings pass and I have got something that fills in all the gaps and makes it all worthwhile: Jesus. God has blessed me with this wonderful family…. And as I sit here musing about this …. whoops, tears, William has just landed on Jeremy on the trampoline. Jeremy belts him….. all is fine and forgotten in a moment as I stand up and knock on the window to prevent World War 3.
Father God, my boys are a precious gift and I am so grateful for them. I praise you Father God for their uniqueness, for their individual personalities, talents and abilities. I pray that you would ‘guide them along the best pathway for their lives, that You would advise and watch over them,’ (Psalm 32:8) that Your ‘unfailing love would surround them because they trust in You,’ (Psalm 32:10) that they would ‘rejoice and be glad because they obey You’ (Psalm 32:11) all their lives; that they never backslide or deviate from your plan and purpose for their lives. That they would seek you first and that ‘Your world will always be a lamp to guide their feet and a light for their path’ (Psalm 119:105). I ask that You give them Your wisdom and discernment. Fill them with boldness. I ask that their witness be fearless and true to You, Jesus. Please draw them to Your side, let them have the own first had relationship with You. Amen.
Oh boy, there are too many on the trampoline, I must go……..
“Okay, everybody off, it’s getting a bit wild…..”
“Emma, I can’t find my sock…..”
“Mummy, I can’t find my sock…..”
Same day…a bit later
“I want to paint”
I surprise myself by saying, “Oh, Okay.”
“Emma, I don’t have a paint brush.”
“Jack, lend Rachael one of your brushes.”
“No!”
Extra patiently I respond,“Jack, in this family we share our stuff.”
“She’s going to ruin it” he whines.
“Jack, let Rachael use one of your brushes!”
I walk away. I walk back: Rachael has one of Jack’s paint brushes. Maybe the gentle discipline is going in?
The garden is empty, most of the children are round at the park playing football. Rachael and Jeremy are painting. Tim is wandering dangerously close to the paint. I have already washed off paint from my new white top.
It is nearly lunch-time. We will be 9 for lunch. It isn’t always like this, in term time it is just Tim and me. I had better get the pita on the table and the jam and tuna. Then I need to get the dinner. The house is trashed. Everywhere I walk, I step over stuff. I, haven’t done a thing yet but I amazingly, have managed to have had a quiet time and there is a gospel cd on in the kitchen and I am going to stand in there and be fed by God in that pool of peace, while I get lunch. My life is manic sometimes but I wouldn’t change the children for anything………
“No,” Jeremy screams at Tim who cries and carries on. I wonder what he is doing? There is paint in the lounge…I think I had better go and see what is happening………….
A day in the life of an ordinary Christian mum
‘Jack, you really shouldn't carve my dining room table.’ I said in a mild voice as my son whittled away at my, admittedly rather battered table, with his butter knife. It was an ordinary morning in the October half-term in 2006, Jack was 9 at the time.
I turned to see William, our 11 year old about to flick a cheerio, at Jack and as he took aim,I gently got his attention. He had the grace to look at me and smile guiltily. By which time Jack had taken the advantage and flicked the cheerio at William! Meanwhile Timothy, 14 months finished his weetabix and stood up in his high chair, precariously teetering, as he yelled for more food. Timothy, my walking dustbin, who loves breakfast. I give him a croissant. Jeremy, almost 5, seeing the croissants has developed an instant dislike for weetabix, which up until now he loved! Breakfast in the Phillips household, happy mayhem!! Ross escapes to work: in fact he made a very hurried departure this morning because he burnt the croissants and was feeling condemned and rather hurt by the baleful gazes of his wife and eldest son.
Racheal, my niece who stayed over the night nibbles daintily, like a well brought up girl, on her croissant and then says something in her loudest voice: Princess Foghorn had come to sleep over for the night.
It was great: I got my pink fix because I put make up on her that morning! Well, being the mother of 4 boys, I need to get my pink fix when I can!
By 10:30 my garden is full with about 5 more children from the neighbourhood, so the total number of children on my property is 11, which is a small number: the day before yesterday there were 16. Please bear in mind I live in a mid-terraced 3 bedroom house with a postage stamp sized garden! I just hope that the children that are congregating here are attracted to my home and family by the magnetism of God through the irresistible pull of Jesus in us! I want us to be a witness for God.
11:30 and the door bell goes, Simon and John, William twin friends from school have arrived for their first ever sleepover. Please God let them have a good time with us today.
We are an ordinary family living in an ordinary street with God’s extraordinary seal on us: Jesus!
My house is permanently a mess, I am very bad at keeping house: I am bored by the hum-drum of housework and cleaning. I think I am brilliant if I am up to date with the washing. But, I would rather have a messy house filled with love and laughter than a perfect, empty house. Yes, people might think we are messy and disorganised. Yes my boys fight and argue, yes, things go wrong. Some days, I am grumpy and argumentative and don’t feel like being responsible for all these children, but those feelings pass and I have got something that fills in all the gaps and makes it all worthwhile: Jesus. God has blessed me with this wonderful family…. And as I sit here musing about this …. whoops, tears, William has just landed on Jeremy on the trampoline. Jeremy belts him….. all is fine and forgotten in a moment as I stand up and knock on the window to prevent World War 3.
Father God, my boys are a precious gift and I am so grateful for them. I praise you Father God for their uniqueness, for their individual personalities, talents and abilities. I pray that you would ‘guide them along the best pathway for their lives, that You would advise and watch over them,’ (Psalm 32:8) that Your ‘unfailing love would surround them because they trust in You,’ (Psalm 32:10) that they would ‘rejoice and be glad because they obey You’ (Psalm 32:11) all their lives; that they never backslide or deviate from your plan and purpose for their lives. That they would seek you first and that ‘Your world will always be a lamp to guide their feet and a light for their path’ (Psalm 119:105). I ask that You give them Your wisdom and discernment. Fill them with boldness. I ask that their witness be fearless and true to You, Jesus. Please draw them to Your side, let them have the own first had relationship with You. Amen.
Oh boy, there are too many on the trampoline, I must go……..
“Okay, everybody off, it’s getting a bit wild…..”
“Emma, I can’t find my sock…..”
“Mummy, I can’t find my sock…..”
Same day…a bit later
“I want to paint”
I surprise myself by saying, “Oh, Okay.”
“Emma, I don’t have a paint brush.”
“Jack, lend Rachael one of your brushes.”
“No!”
Extra patiently I respond,“Jack, in this family we share our stuff.”
“She’s going to ruin it” he whines.
“Jack, let Rachael use one of your brushes!”
I walk away. I walk back: Rachael has one of Jack’s paint brushes. Maybe the gentle discipline is going in?
The garden is empty, most of the children are round at the park playing football. Rachael and Jeremy are painting. Tim is wandering dangerously close to the paint. I have already washed off paint from my new white top.
It is nearly lunch-time. We will be 9 for lunch. It isn’t always like this, in term time it is just Tim and me. I had better get the pita on the table and the jam and tuna. Then I need to get the dinner. The house is trashed. Everywhere I walk, I step over stuff. I, haven’t done a thing yet but I amazingly, have managed to have had a quiet time and there is a gospel cd on in the kitchen and I am going to stand in there and be fed by God in that pool of peace, while I get lunch. My life is manic sometimes but I wouldn’t change the children for anything………
“No,” Jeremy screams at Tim who cries and carries on. I wonder what he is doing? There is paint in the lounge…I think I had better go and see what is happening………….
Great, writing. Keep them coming.
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