My Cottage Full of Joy

Heaven is nearer, that is for sure, when these tiny cries come home to be cuddled. For me though (I will be brave and be very honest here), it isn't so much in these brand fresh, sweet smelling little spirits that the veil becomes thin for me, but in the weakness of my own leaking, bleeding, bigger than I'd like it to be, hormone crazed, sleep walking body. It is in these first weeks of baby that the question of "how on earth am I going to do this?" haunts my mind every time. Earth never delivers, of course, and I am reminded once again that super powers, especially the kind that new mothers need, come from heaven.

Oh, wouldn't it be nice if these powers could abracadabra away my mountains of dirty laundry or these obnoxious bouts I have been having with thrush AND mastitis. And what I wouldn't give to silence all afternoon whining with a bibbidi bobidi boo, or to wave my wand and have my husband home from work at five instead of hardly getting to see him. I haven't been blessed to access THAT kind of magic yet, but in the struggles of these last few weeks as I am learning to adjust to three (I was WAY too comfortable with two!), I have been blessed to experience some of the most tender of mercies from a Father in Heaven who must believe I can do this.  I'll have to share some stories in posts to follow.  Don't hold your breath, but I'll do my best to make the time.  :-)

At church we sing a lot about our families here on earth who are so good to us in our "cottages" full of joy.  Does that verse make you giggle like it does me?  A few years ago I discovered a new favorite primary song that I have pondered often.  The chorus teaches us that "God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be."  In every way those words describe what I have been experiencing this last month and a half with a new baby.   I have too many moments when the kids are tuning me out, the baby is screaming, the kids keep telling me they're hungry, they haven't been bathed in three days, I feel like I've completely missed the mark with fulfilling my calling as a mother, and my cottage is just. plain. crumbling. down. down. down.  A house of order and learning and joy.  Ha!  Ha!  But then I remember my new found favorite primary song and I remember that as I am doing my best to help raise my family, they are helping me become what my Heavenly Father wants me to be:  more patient, more understanding, more kind, more repentant (for the days when I have NOT been so kind, and believe me, there are plenty), more humble, more prayerful, more hopeful, more selfless, more strong, more faithful....more everything that raising these sweet (and sometimes NOT so sweet) little people requires of us moms.  More SUPER POWERS!  Such an amazing plan.