Treasuring and Pondering

Hello! My name is Mary Straits, and I am honored to be a guest author again on Prayer of Hannah! Our son Noah is 2 ½ years old, and we are expecting our second son this January. You can visit my family’s blog here.

Before I elaborate on why I love being mom, I have to confess that I didn’t ever dream of being a mother as a kid. I had three younger brothers, and as one of the older sisters, I had a mothering role to them. I felt like I knew what to expect when it came to pregnancy, baby care, and little boys because those were such big parts of my childhood. I did not know, however, the tremendous way that being a mother would change me and teach me. Because we have to go through major fertility treatment to have children (you can read about our journey to our first son here and our second son here), I learned before I actually had a baby what a gift having children are—mainly because it was a long, expensive process for us. After I held Noah and began our journey together, however, I really “got” what being a mother is all about. Here are my thoughts on why I love being a mom~

1. I totally understand the scripture that says, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). I have some precious, precious memories that I will never forget: the first flutterings of arms and legs, the sound of an eager heartbeat through an ultrasound machine, those first cries, watching my sweet newborn sleep, Noah calling out, “Mama!!!! Uv yoouuu!” (Love you!). There are so many moments I don’t have pictures or videos of, but my heart remembers them all clear as day. This is probably what I love most--moments that you know you will treasure and ponder forever!

2. Being a mom has taught me dependence on God like never before. Each phase has its own challenges: praying desperately for a tiny newborn to latch and nurse correctly, for strength during cry-it-out, for health after a series of ear infections, for peace and comfort in the ER with a 104 fever, for help in knowing how to handle tantrums and vegetable strikes, for patience, for our children to know and love God, for them to be protected from evil influences and people, etc. The list is endless. I have seen clearly that I am not perfect and that I need God desperately for wisdom and protection for my babies.

3. Being a mom has taught me to trust myself. It is SO TRUE that you know your babies and when something is not right. The times that I’ve ignored my “mom instinct” or listened to others instead, I have regretted it. Noah had a broken wrist for days—I didn’t feel right about it, but everyone kept saying, “He’s using it just fine. He’d be crying if it were broken. He’s OK!” Well, he wasn’t, and I knew it all along. I felt so, so guilty. Trusting ourselves as mothers is a gift and protection to our children!
4. I love experiencing life through my son. Things that I would normally not enjoy (ie—a musical show of Thomas the Train or parades or bugs or the beach), I have a new love for because of the joy my sweet boy has for such things. I have noticed ants, birds, bumble bees, butterflies, etc. that I would normally ignore. I love that God has given me “eyes to see” the beauty and fun in the world again through my sweet boy! 5. Being a mom has also gotten me through one of the hardest experiences of my life: the loss of one of our twins in my current pregnancy. God used my sweet Noah to minister to me, and I can't think of a sweeter gift. Here is what my firstborn did for me. I love seeing God use the tiniest people to do His work!

I could probably go on and on about all the things I love, but I encourage you to comment with some of your favorite mommy moments--the moments you treasure and ponder! Thanks for letting me share with you!