Strawberries and Mommies

I don't think I know any women who don't feel pulled in many directions.


Mother

Friend

Spouse

Coworker

Business woman,

Mentor

etc.


As I pulled weeds and dug around the strawberry plants in my dad's yard I thought how very like that plant we are.


If allowed to just grow and grow, without maintenance, the strawberry plant will put on lots of leaves and vines, and very little, if any, fruit....but FRUIT is what the plant is for. In order to produce fruit, the superfluous leaves and shoots must be cut back.


There are so many worthy things we must do. Sometimes, we need to allow our capacity to grow in order to accommodate everything.


Sometimes, in order to allow ourselves to increase in capacity we need to trim out the superfluous. How do we determine what is essential and what is superfluous? There is first and foremost: Prayer. Yet, there is also, knowing the purpose of your being.


When you know your purpose is to bear fruit, and not to grow as big as you can, you know what to cut and what to leave, or when to let grow and when to cut back. What is the purpose?


I am going to be bold and say the purpose is family. If I have a life filled with worthy persuits, but my family is not bearing fruit....my life is still unfulfilling and unfulfilled. What do I mean "bearing fruit"? In previous posts I have outlined the difference between checking off boxes, and making lasting connections. Building family ties takes more than the completion of tasks, it takes time, being still, eye contact, doing chores together-for the purpose of talking together, it takes kindness when kindness is inconvenient, etc.


Sometimes, don't we forget that we are here to bear fruit...not just to grow leaves and shoots? I know I do. I am trying SO hard to allow my heart and mind to be remodeled to more fully understand what this means for me personally. I know one thing, it means that if I sacrifice a career for my marriage and family, I'm still fulfilling my purpose. Yet, I know God has a purpose for me in serving other people too.


So, everyday, I am looking for guidance from God in what to prune, and what to grow because some what I do to help outside my family helps my family fruit too. I have been learning this and I know that when I feel pulled, it's good to chose home, and let God take care of some of those branches for me. I know this because He's been showing me that already. He's multiplied the amount of people I've been able to empower with tools for happiness in their relationships, while preserving my time with my family.


For more about embracing motherhood and ALL God has for you, try this MP3 download designed to reaffirm and empower you to make the best choices for you and your family.


Mom is a Mission Too (e-mail me for the link rob_lizbradley@hotmail.com)



Liz King Bradley