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Girl Meets God

    by Melissa Mathews

Call Me Mom
Date Posted: April 29, 2007
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 31:27-28

I didn't know if I would be able to get up. I was down on the floor, head under my desk, looking for the envelope to an Easter card that I needed to send to Asfaw (our little World Vision girl in Ethiopia).

You're picturing spacious leg room under a standard desk. But you're picturing wrong. My desk is an old library table, the kind with the board that is about 10 inches from the floor. I'm sure the board is intended for reference books, but it works so much better as a foot rest.

So you can imagine how uncomfortable I might have been with my head turned to the side, wedged under this board, looking for an envelope amidst all the other sundry things that had found their way under my desk: colored paper clips; a blue, highly valuable Sharpie; a page of pizza coupons that were 3 months old; a mass of black chords; a stack of papers that I just HAD to keep but hadn't touched since they fell behind my desk; and UGH- a picture frame. I cringe every time I find this frame under my desk.

You're thinking it's a picture. But it's not. It's an intricate, faded gold frame with a quote that my precious friend Minette embroidered for me 11 years ago when I first started mothering.

"There is no career more noble than Motherhood at its best."

Spiritual truth slaps me in the face when I happen upon this quote- dusty and hidden under my desk.

I've been working from home for a website called SermonCentral for 3 ½ years. The job started small, but within the last six months, I've allowed it to take over my life. About 18 months ago, I added "worship leader" for our new church plant to my list of jobs. Are you feeling the conflict? Are you feeling the pang of guilt that stabs me every time I find "There is no career more noble than Motherhood at its best" buried under my worship notebook or wedged between my desk and the filing cabinet?

There's something even weirder about my over-working-brain-always-off-in-space situation. The moment it looked like we might be hiring a worship leader and my job at SermonCentral might be scaled back, I panicked.

Would it be enough for me to simply be mother? Is the job of "Mother" a valid use of my time?

And then I see this quote. Here's the whole thing:

"There is no nobler career than that of motherhood at its best. There are no possibilities greater, and in no other sphere does failure bring more serious penalties…To attempt this task unprepared and untrained is tragic, and its results affect generations to come. On the other hand, there is no higher height to which humanity can attain than that occupied by a converted, heaven inspired, praying mother. "

When we keep finding our frame buried under the Pampered Chef catalogs, or hidden by the law books or lesson plans, or buried under the laundry and cleaning supplies, or we can't find it at all because we're never at home, then we need to rethink our role as mother.

When people talk about me, I don't want to hear "Great Editor" or "Famous Author" or "Gifted Leader."

I want to hear "Mom."

I want to hear:
"Melissa watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."
Proverbs 31:27-28

NOTE: This is a previous post that seemed like a necessary read for me as my year teaching 12th grade English overwhelms to an end, and I once again find myself as interim co-worship leader at our church plant. Maybe you needed to hear it too. :)

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

The Servant Leader

Read Article »
Biography Information:
I'm a preacher's kid, pastor's wife, and southern belle who married a Southern California boy. Can you say 'culture clash?' Scott and I have four boys - Max, Mark, Jackson, and Grant who keep us busy with homework and sports.

Scott and I have been married 22 years and currently live in Northern California where we are beginning year five as church planters. I also teach 12th grade English and love it.

I would love to hear from you. Email me anytime at melissa.g.mathews@gmail.com
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