I am thrilled that Jennifer Ross from Renewing Housewives will be posting for us on the first Thursday of the month. She is the mother of 11 and so has much Titus 2 wisdom for us!
It’s different. It’s different than it was before. When all we had were small children, it was… well, different. Gone are the days that I could have some “alone time” each day during nap time. Gone are the days of one “family size” box of rice-a-roni being enough for our family. And gone are the days of all the children sitting on my lap to listen to me read a story book.
Gone also, are the days of “no one to talk to.” Gone are the days too, of doing housework without any real help. And gone are the days of wondering if my life really counts for something.
Life is fluent. It changes. It is full of seasons. When it comes to mothering a large family, it is a season of fullness. We still have a houseful of little ones, 4 to be exact. But we are also blessed with several young adults (the world would call them “teenagers”). As well as a few children in between the older and younger ones.
I know now that my life counts for something. I know that I’m doing something well worth my time. I can look at my large family and see how my child training has paid off. Being a mother to many children gives me advantages. Advantages that I didn’t know about when I only had a few young children.
Being a mother to a large family is a lot of work! But the benefits are well worth it! If you have just a few little ones right now, weary not in well doing! Time does go by and they do get older. Make sure to take the time now to invest in those sweet babies, and to train them properly so they will be a blessing to you in another decade.
If you have little ones as well as not so little ones, you may identify with what I’m saying. You know that what you are doing is for our Lord. We may forget sometimes, but truly, we spend each moment with our children because that is what the Lord has called us to.
Gone are the days of wondering if anything we do makes a difference. It’s a calling. And there is no higher calling!
Jennifer is the cherished wife of a very visionary man, and a home schooling mother to almost a dozen children. Her deepest desire is to consistently love her husband and children, and to be a diligent and joyful keeper at home. Her favorite pastime is to encourage fellow housewives in their highest calling of wife and mother. When she’s not creating Homemaking DVDs or hosting webinars, she can be found blogging at Renewing Housewives.