1 Corinthians 13 for Moms

1 Corinthians 13 for Moms

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love,
I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness, ­not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction, and fault them for every mess they make, but have not love,
my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy,"
the taxi-driver to every childhood event,
the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children have faded away into insignificance,
And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,
dishes with missing place settings,and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,
But the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

-Adapted by Jim Fowler


I lifted this from another person's blog who lifted it from another blog. So I don't know where exactly it originated, but it really spoke to me. Too often I find myself with my priorities out of order on my daily "To Do" list. For example, I love when our house is clean and everything is in it's place; I strive for this on a daily basis (although I strongly dislike folding and hanging clothes, cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors... well, just cleaning in general!). However, I feel like I'm always spinning my wheels and feeling frustrated when the girls are often "messing up" the room I just finished straightening. These words above really are a reminder to me to reexamine my priorities. What's more important?... the toys being neat and orderly or the fact that the girls are having a fun time together growing in their bond, growing in creativity and just being kids? Who really cares if the house looks perfect anyway? It really doesn't bother Chris and it certainly doesn't bother the girls and no one other than us really sees it anyway. So as the summer is drawing to an end and school soon beginning, I appreciate this reminder to rewrite the "To Do" list with: 1) spend time with, 2) laugh with, and 3) enjoy the girls- being at the top and the less meaningful stuff like "cleaning the house" being way at the bottom of the list.