I loved the Mother’s Day sermon my pastor gave on Sunday.

Mothering is one of the hardest, and most rewarding, jobs out there. It takes courage and cleverness.

Mothers (and fathers) have an incredibly large responsibility in molding and shaping the character of their children.

I think about this often.

I know the woman Little Bug one day grows up to be will largely be in part to the way Dave and I raise her. It is a task that we must do together as a team, with God as our guide.

More than anything, I desire Little Bug to grow up to be a respectful, God-fearing woman who desires her life to be used by God for His glory.

I know one day my sweet little innocent baby girl will exert her independence by one day saying to me, “I don’t have to do what you say, Mommy!”

And that will be the day Little Bug begins to learn her place in this world, that there are boundaries and that she will respect and obey her parents and others in authority.

No if ands or buts about it.

Pastor Paul says mothering takes courage because it is hard to discipline a child you love more than anything.

But it is something that must be done if you want to raise a respectable, obedient child with a sweet spirit.

He said you can’t be concerned with “being your child’s friend”. Other children are your child’s friends. You are the PARENT and it is your responsibility to discipline your children when they are young.

There will come a time when you as the parent can become your child’s friend. That is where my relationship with my mother is at this time. As a child, Mama was not my friend. She was my mother. She taught me to be obedient and to be respectful of others. Now, she is one of my best friends.

I loved this message because it hit home with me.

I know the days of disciplining Little Bug are just around the corner. I look at her now and I know one day it will break my heart to discipline her. I want to shield her from all hurt. I want her to always be happy.

But when that time comes I know I will have to rise above my emotions and look at the big picture and know that disciplining/training my daughter is what Little Bug needs.

And really, disciplining a toddler/preschooler has got to be a whole lot easier than one day waking up and realizing I’ve made a huge mistake and I’ve now got this rebellious rotten-attitude child/teenager on my hands that I have somehow got to gain control over.

This is not a task I can do apart from God. It is going to take a lot of prayer, a lot of teamwork from my husband and me, a lot of council from our parents and much determination and patience.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13)

- Elaine