Many Hats
Twenty-three years ago a "professional" woman approached me and said she had a book on feminist folklore that she wanted my eight year old daughter to read, because she thought it was important for my daughter to know there were women who are "thinkers" and don't just sit at home with their kids all day.
I graciously declined the offer. With Mother's Day approaching, the thought of the many hats a mom has to wear, came to mind.
Just the other day I sat in a bank "thinking" as I helped negotiate some mortgage options for one child. Then I had to "think" again as I prepared an Excel sheet, talked to two caterers and searched the web for a couple hours evaluating hotel options for the wedding of another child. Threading satin ribbon through eyelet I attached it to some beautiful damask fabric I had measure and cut, before sewing together some bridal shoe bags I had "thought" to design. Dinner did not come out of a bag either and the process of cleaning out an infected ear of a bulldog and applying the proper medication without being bitten wasn't a no brainer. On the side, I was reviewing estimates from a couple window companies to repair a broken window, checking three circuit breaker boxes to help the sprinkler system company make repairs to our sprinkler system and gathering some documents for one child and photos for another to be scanned. Sit? Hmmm...that didn't happen yesterday.
Mothers, whether they work outside the home or have chosen to stay home have a lot of thinking to do. There have been many professional mothers in our path, to whom I am eternally grateful they were willing to nurse, teach, and guide my children as well as their own. Let's remember to be considerate of one another, for seldom do we know all that is behind the choices people make. We should never judge until we've taken the time to acquaint ourselves with another.
All that to say there is someone else who wears many hats and we should...
"Acquaint now thyself with him." Job 22:21 (But you are going to have to THINK.)
God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Indwelling Holy Spirit play some incredible roles in our lives.
Spurgeon has an even more extensive take on these roles in his devotional called "Evening to Evening". A great book for remembering to not put your head down at night without reflection on Him!
Here is the May 8th entry.
"If we desire to properly acquaint ourselves with God and be at peace, we must know Him as He has revealed Himself-not only in the unity of His essence and existence, but also in the plurality of His persons. "God said, Let US make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26). Do not let man be content until he knows something of the "us" from whom his being was derived. Endeavor to know the Father; bury your head in His bosom in deep repentance, and confess that you are not worthy to be called His child. Receive the kiss of His love. Let the ring that is the token of His eternal faithfulness be on your finger. Sit at His table, and let your heart be made merry in His grace. Then press forward and seek to know much of the Son of God, who is the brightness of His Father's glory; yet, in unspeakable condescension of grace, He became Man for our sakes. Know Him in the unique complexity of His nature: eternal God, yet suffering finite man. Follow Him as He walks the waters with the footsteps of deity and as He sits on the well in the weariness of humanity. Do not be satisfied unless you know much of Jesus Christ as your Friend, your Brother, your Husband, your All. Do not forget the Holy Spirit. Endeavor to obtain a clear view of His nature and character, His attributes, and His works. Behold that Spirit of the Lord, who first of all moved upon chaos and brought forth order; who now visits the chaos of your soul and creates the order of holiness. Behold Him as the Lord and Giver of spiritual life, the Illuminator, the Instructor, the Comforter, and the Sanctifier. Behold Him as, in holy power, He descends on the head of Jesus, and then afterwards rests on you who are as the skirts of His garments. Such an intelligent, scriptural and experiential belief in the Trinity in Unity us yours if you truly know God. Such knowledge brings peace indeed!"
