Identity of Motherhood

This will probably surprise you, but I never aspired to be a mother when I was younger. Or a wife...I just really didn't think about it much. When I was 11, God called me to full time ministry and I really never looked back. I was super involved in my youth group, went on missions trips, then after high school graduation I packed up for Bible College. Oh sure, like any fairly typically teenager I had a boyfriend here or there, but I was still pretty focused on God's calling. Then...then I started dating one Jason Peter. I was only 20 at the time, and still had a couple of years of college left, but God's Will was clear from the beginning.

So fast forward 12 years, one marriage, and three kids later. I am now a wife, a mom to three, and a full time pastor. I have been in this pastor role for a couple of years now, but only full time for almost a year. I have been battling myself for the last 11 months trying to find that perfect "balance" in life that takes care of everything and earns me the title of "Super Mom" in the process! I remember once hearing a pastor's wife talking about "juggling" all of her roles in life, and I immediately thought "I don't want to juggle all my stuff - what if I drop something!" (I tend to be a little clumsy) So, my ambition has led me to carefully balance these things, because as soon as I throw something up in the air and momentarily take my eye off it, it will surely come crashing to the ground. I realized early on in this job that I work in a world where a lot of my colleagues are men, and that presents challenges to me. I bet some of you can relate.

This revelation has led me to these thoughts:

• The following priorities: Jesus, Jason, the Kids, and the Church are to always be in that order. No discussion. Period. (I actually learned this 9 years ago when we started in ministry but I truly see the importance of it now.)
• My Mother role does not lessen my Pastor role. This goes for any of you who have a career that you are passionate about. This is a false idea that my own brain managed to conjure up when I started this job.
• I CAN read a ministry book and help with homework, and stir the dinner on the stove all at once. I didn't think I could, but indeed I can.
• It's okay if you stay at home with a sick kiddo - you aren't weak or putting your job on the "not important to me" list. Your kids need the hugging and nurturing more than anyone else does right now.
• Your life can be the perfect blend of everything you chose to put in it. Chose wisely - it's the unnecessary things that cause the out of control kind of chaos. (A little bit of chaos happens. Mothers of two-year-olds say amen.)
• My kids get excited when I teach KidzBlast and Girls Club...they don't care if I'm their children's pastor and truthfully, I like that.
• My job as a Pastor and my role as a Mother will, and do overlap daily. It's my choice to embrace that fact, and to love this season of my life. It's hectic and tiring, but exciting and exhilarating.
• And last, I love my iPhone. It allows me to check my email during the above mentioned multitasking (cooking, reading, homework...) It also allows me to stay connected to all of my friends and family via facebook and twitter without pulling out my computer. You have to love that one.

So, make sure your priorities are in check, that the chaos is managed, and most of all, that you are tuned in to what God says your identity needs to be. Oh, and make sure you tweet about it!