Wasn't it yesterday that I would arrive in that cozy room, collapse in a chair after long days spent with babies and toddlers, and be loved on by sweet, young moms and older, wiser mentor moms. MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) was such a blessing back then. I gained some dear friends from that group, and though life has led us down separate paths, we still meet once a year for Fondue in January.
Last night, as the busy moms decorated the room for their annual Christmas celebration, I was setting up my music equipment to perform a concert for them. Their little preschoolers were exploring everything, toddlers were dragging around blankets like Linus, babies were resting on hips, little fingers were finding my keyboard, eager mouths were trying to sing into my microphone. I felt a little like my son playing defense on the basketball court!
I brought my daughters and their friend to assist me, and to sell their beautiful satin flower clips for their fledgling business, Rose Petal Designs.
In six years, my daughter, Megan, has gone from clinging to my leg, not wanting to be left in childcare rooms, to manning my powerpoint and running her own little business. I watched her gently redirect curious preschoolers away from my equipment and bless one little girl with a free clip because her mom didn't bring money.
I observed my 8-year-old, Grace, being saleswoman of the year, as she informed potential customers of the great value of these little clips...how you can remove the feathers if you prefer...how they make great Christmas gifts and wouldn't your little girl like this purple one? At my last 2 concerts, they sold $150 worth of clips. Stunning!
All that time spent teaching my children respect, self-control, hard work, and compassion is beginning to bear fruit. Spending so much time with them as a homeschool mom, I tend to focus on their weaknesses and lack of maturity, but yesterday, seeing how they handled themselves in public, juxtaposed against who they were just a few short years ago, I was proud of them. So proud.
I shared these three pictures with the lovely MOPS moms to let them know how quickly time passes. The first is our Christmas card picture from 2003. The second is what happened right after we took that picture. The third is our 2011 Christmas card picture.
Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires. ~Charles Caleb Colton
We've been reared in a culture where self-esteem is paramount, where egos are stroked and caressed, and where subtle fishing for compliments is an art. Facebook and blogging feed fiercely into our addiction for affirmation. Does this ever run through your mind..."Oh, I will have to post that to see what people will say?" Just yesterday, I bragged on Facebook about beating the boys at cards and basked in the virtual back-slapping from a few friends.
Today, I drew up short. A few pages of words written by a scholar in the 17th century shook my shoulders and slapped my cheeks. "Wake up, sleeper. You have work to do."
The text, taken from The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living by Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) was so rich, I thought some of you might be hungry for such words. I would like to share them, rule by rule, over the next few days. If you roll your eyes and think "legalistic," that's fine. After reading this, I definitely won't take it personally :)
Rule 1: Do not think better of yourself because of any outward circumstance that happens to you. Although you may, because of the gifts that have been bestowed upon you, be better at something than someone else (as one horse runs faster than another), know that it is for the benefit of others, not for yourself.
Rule 2: Humility does not consist in criticizing yourself. It consists in a realistic opinion of yourself, namely, that you are an unworthy person.
Rule 3: When you hold this opinion of yourself, be content that others think the same of you. If you realize that you are not wise, do not be angry if someone else should agree! You would be a hypocrite to think lowly of yourself, but then expect others to think highly of you.
Rule 4: Nurture a love to do good things in secret, concealed from the eyes of others. Be content to go without praise. Remember, no one can undervalue you if you know that you are unworthy.
No one can undervalue you if you know that you are unworthy.
Have you read a more counter-cultural statement than that recently?
