Fulfillment

Sometimes being a mom at home is unfulfilling because of what we believe about it, not what it is. For instance, I faced a time when I realized that while I bore strong witness of the sanctity and divine calling of motherhood, I felt unfulfilled and unsatisfied. Something within me said that the witness I bore was true, but I didn't own it at that time.

Only our modern view and perspective, skewed and blurred by contemporary ideals leads us to believe that, as women, we have been "relegated" rather than ELEVATED to the role of mother, that we are somehow held in lower esteem because God gave us the primary responsibility to care for our children. Who takes a more active role in creation, in Godlike activity, than a woman who carries and brings forth a child literally built cell by sell within her body and nurtured by her very soul and/or who helps build a child day by day, lesson by lesson, hug by hug,tear by tear and laugh by laugh.

Whether you are a hooker, or a devout Christian a woman who carries and births a child partakes in the most divine gift. Then as she choses to raise this child in love and guide and direct and empower them to make choices, she continues, hopefully with the father (for sure with THE Father), in the glorious work that comes closest to the work of God. Eve, before ever becoming a mother was called "Eve" because she is the mother of all living. Then in a courageous and faithful action she partook of the fruit knowing that it would create pain and suffering, but also the opportunity for all of us to live and grow and experience this life. So, every woman in this generation does as she choses motherhood. Yes, sometimes, it is much like entering a lone and dreary world, a world where there is struggle, and suffering, but with the GREATEST rewards and needed blessings.

No-one in our day can possibly go into pregnancy or birthing without having heard of the pain and discomfort that is involved. Yet we chose (some of us repeatedly) to take on this challenge for the sake of bringing life into this world and expressing that divine gift that is within us. We sacrifice sleep, and we allocate much of our time and energy to the care and well-being of this child, sent from God with profound trust in us to help in His work in this child's life.

Sherry Dew, a former president of the Mormon church's women's organization, a woman who was never married or bore her own children has said this,"While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "The Mother of All Living," and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it certainly is that. It is the essence of who we are as women."("Saying It Like It Is", pg. 54)

As Mothers in the home or out of the home God will be our constant companion and guide as we remember and hold in reverence the solemn and sacred privilege we have and are partaking in as we care for God's children. Regardless of our abilities or our weaknesses God will make of us all we need to be, all we are in our divine selves, as we put our energy and our focus into what is most important. As we participate in the genius of God's organization of Earthlife, the creation of strong families, we become more like God than in any other pursuit.

Liz King Bradley