The Refiner's fire

Ever since I was a child, I longed for the day I would become a mother. As I spent many hours babysitting as a teenager, I continued to dream of the day when the baby I held in my arms would be my very own. Certain aspects of motherhood have been everything I hoped they would be. One benefit of motherhood that I did not anticipate was the way it would force me to grow. I began my twenty year career in education as a middle school teacher. Many teachers would rather teach just about any other grade, but I loved teaching middle schoolers. As a teacher, I did not have trouble with staying calm and exhibiting patience toward my students or their parents. Although I have struggled at times with patience regarding waiting for certain things in life to come about, I have considered myself to be a patient person in terms of dealing with other people. Through my interactions with my own children, I have discovered that I definitely have room to grow in being more patient. I am grateful that the Lord is using motherhood as the means of refining my character to become more like His. I love my children dearly, and I want that love to be shown in the patient, calm way I interact with them all throughout each and every day. As it says in I Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient. Love is kind."