Then, the baby comes and the process of becoming real begins. He cries. It's her job to help him stop. He's hungry or needs a new diaper. Again, her job. I never knew dinner time could come around so quickly as when I had a newborn. There were so many little things that were now my job, and time just flew!
As my son has grown, the opportunities for me to sacrifice and grow have multiplied. Slowly but surely, I'm becoming something better than sparkly (which surprisingly, is not even a word anyway!). I'm becoming real. It's easy to think you're a "good person" when not much is asked of you. Now I routinely have the opportunity to give up what I want for the sake of someone else. I don't always like it. But I grow because of it. Every sacrifice, from the career that gave me accolades and a paycheck to the meal eaten in peace, represents a step on the road to maturity.
Since becoming a mother, I have come to appreciate those who've gone before me in a new way. I think of the sacrifices that I sometimes struggle to make for my husband and baby and of how many more will come as our family grows, and I'm thankful for my sister, my mother, my mother-in-law and my grandmother. I see the ladies in the nursing home differently. They've walked this road ahead of me. They gave up their sparkle and selfish satisfaction in favor of serving their families.
I thank the Lord for the joy found in the everyday sacrifices. I don't just have to change a diaper, I get to watch my son learn to crawl and eat and speak and obey. Being a mom is hard work, but so valuable. It is of great value to my family, but it is more than that. It is the road God has marked out for my sanctification.
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The Velveteen Mommy
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