God is with Mothers

This week has been rough in terms of sleep.  Lila's teething has been awful and she's up most nights crying and nursing for a long time.  Last night was probably the worst of it.  I was so exhausted and I just couldn't take anymore, so Jake took her downstairs and they watched the end of a movie.  After it ended, she was sitting by him on the couch, flipping through the Book of Mormon for a while (lol) and she dozed off reading it. While I was in bed alone, I was so exhausted, but in that state where I was too tired and stressed and tense to fall asleep.  I had a headache, so I got up, took some medicine, ate a little something, and then sat down on the couch for a little bit.  I opened up my high school scriptures and it flipped open to Alma 32.

God is with mothers.  He's with us when we're humbled by the trials of raising children, when we're exhausted.  It helps us be open to revelation and wisdom from Him.  He also blesses us when we choose to be humble throughout our day-to-day routines; when we recognize that we always need His help and love and direction as we raise our children.

What struck me the most were the last three verses and then a quote I had glued into that chapter years ago.

I replaced some words in the last three verses to reflect my situation as a mother --

But if ye will nourish [Lila], yea, nourish [Lila] as she beginning to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, [she] shall take root; and behold [she] shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing [her], that [she] may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

Then, [mothers], ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience and long-suffering, waiting for [Lila] to bring forth fruit unto you.

And the quote I had was this --

[Mothers] who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.  He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace." --Ezra Taft Benson

I shared this with Jake this morning, when we were both tired and kind of reeling from the night's adventures.  He said, "You know, before you become parents, people warn you that it's so difficult and tiring, but most of the time it's not a big deal and not too difficult.  But when it's difficult, it's difficult because you're so tired!  And it feels like it's always difficult."  And then we talked again about how someday Lila will be one of our best and dearest friends.  Like Melissa is, the oldest daughter.  In Julie Beck's interview on the Mormon Channel, she said that as she was raising her children, her philosophy was that she wanted to raise her children to be people that would someday be her friends, people she enjoyed being around.  And how now that they're adults, they are her best friends and she considers them peers.  That's exactly how I want to raise my children and I just need to keep in mind that that's the end goal.