Heavenly Mothers Seek Peace-Day 19

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."

Psalm 34:14 KJV

In Christ we have peace with God, which means that our eternal state is secure, but sometimes our life still feels frantic. With several children in my family, the noise level alone can make it hard to feel peaceful. Music playing, dishes clanking together as they are loaded and boys making any number of strange noises with their mouths, or an elbow and an underarm, all contribute to a home that often feels anything but peaceful.

Sometimes as mothers we purchase false peace for ourselves by putting our children in front of a movie or video game. This might be fine on occasion but when it becomes a habit, several problems occur. 

The first problem is that when children never interact with adults, the adults don't have the opportunity to direct and teach the children. If you as a mom don't push through the boredom with your children and teach them how to be happy without media, then their development on many levels will be hindered, basic civility and a work ethic being just a couple affected areas.

Another big problem with over reliance on media is that our standards for what to watch decline the more we watch. What might have shocked us when we first turned on the TV soon becomes commonplace, and our children end up learning bad behavior that they will act on the next time the TV is off.

Sometimes though, we just reallly need a break; from managing children, from picking up toys, from the endless round of laundry.

This is when leaving home is a good idea. Sometimes it might be by yourself while the children are with a safe caregiver. However, leaving home for a few hours or a day with your children is a wonderful way to seek peace and build relationship, especially if you go somewhere outside. A playground, a lake or a nature center are all lovely places to unwind as a family. Children are rarely bored when they have some water to splash in or rocks to climb, and their joy, the fresh air and the chance to breath are God's gifts of peace to a tired and weary mother.

For more Heavenly Mothering, click here