Mothers Who Know Are Nurturers

Here is the paragraph for this week:

Mothers Who Know Are Nurturers

Mothers who know are nurturers. This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness. To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Therefore, mothers who know create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes. Another word for nurturing is homemaking. Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home. Home is where women have the most power and influence; therefore, Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world. Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate. Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable, but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth. Growth happens best in a “house of order,” and women should pattern their homes after the Lord’s house (see D&C 109). Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women.

As I read this paragraph and highlighted the phrases that stood out to me, the words "organization, patience, love and work" especially jumped out at me. It does require a lot of those things to make a home and to have an environment where BOTH temporal and spiritual growth can occur. For many that know me, I love an orderly, clutter-free home. Call it OCD but I have to have my countertops clear and beds made before a certain EARLY hour of the day. I am more productive when my house is orderly, I feel I am "together" and ready to do all that I set out to accomplish. But I have to be careful that I do not make this a priority over more important matters like sitting down with my kids to play and do art, for example.

The scripture in D&C 109 reminds me that having a house of order encompasses so much more than appearances. A house of order is also a house of faith and prayer, a house of God. I need to do more of the "working beside" my kids with chores around the house. That is a challenge for me sometimes, because it is just so much easier and faster if I do it! So if the tomato sauce and shredded cheese ends up all over the floor while the kids help make pizza for dinner for example, I don't look or try not to look down at the floor. I just try to focus on the look on their faces as they're making the pizza. Or if they have used 10+ paper towels and sprayed a ton of Windex on the one glass French door, it's not the end of the world.

More thoughts later... I think it's time to make dinner!