This was a summary I wrote on an online Summer Book Read..... courtesy  of In the Trenches but not alone website!

Mission of Motherhood: Ch 4 The Servant Mother

by MELISSA CALO-OY on JUNE 25, 2012

Thank you, Patti Prieto, for sharing your thoughts on chapter four!

The Model of a Servant Leader

Following Jesus as the perfect model of becoming a Servant Leader: “Not only had he told them (his disciples) that whoever wanted to be first must be a servant to all, but he (Jesus) also shown them personally what servant leadership was all about.” Jesus did this at the Last Supper before his crucifixion, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and reminded them of his service by ministering to their deepest needs, even while Jesus was about to face the ultimate sacrifice on the cross with his life to save us.

Choosing to Lay Down our Lives

“This means as mothers we have to choose to serve Christ by giving our time and energy to our children-not just when we feel like it or when they need it.” This means to give up our personal desires to demonstrate to our children the “purpose of giving and modeling of Christ’s love.” A reminder verse that Sally Clarkson references is John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

Serving without Resentment

“God doesn’t want you to resent your children for taking up your time or make you feel guilty for sacrifices you made on your children’s behalf; Rather we are called to give up our rights simply out of love for Jesus.”

Serving with our Time

As mothers we need to come to the realization that giving our children time is part of serving them. When we learn this practice, we become more relaxed and opened to the joys of being with our children.

Serving with a Godly Attitude

Serving with a joyful and Godly Attitude “can ONLY be done when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Our children need their mothers to be “a mature Christian, to walk by faith that God is in control, allowing his Spirit to give mothers peace and joy in the midst of life’s inevitable ups and downs.” “Mothers need to recognize the powerful effect of our attitude has on our children.”

The Rewards of Servanthood

As mothers you will find these special moments throughout your children’s lives, when they write a special note of thanks, or complete a household chore without asking, or just simply saying thank you in ways only children know how to do…with an unforgettable smile, hug, & kiss. The rewards will be seen in your children’s behaviors, actions, and service to others…..then you will know without doubt, that all the time and sacrifice was well Worth it!!! Isn’t it exactly what Christ sees in his children, when we get it right???

My Personal Reflection

I will say in my 10 years of motherhood thus far, with Two Beautiful, Awesome Twin Daughters, it’s been challenging, rewarding, life changing, and humbling all wrapped in Two. I have learned on many occasions on how my children seem to amaze and surprise me with wonders beyond imagine. Yet there are times they can try my patience to the very limits of the earth. I would agree with Sally Clarkson that God meant Servant Motherhood to be exactly the way we experience it, with ups and downs and several spiral turns in between. Through it all, mothers’ characteristics shine and shine BEST through OUR children. I thank God daily for the chance to experience the feeling of accomplishment and greatness when our children get it right. But also the sorrow with the life lessons learned through choices our children make. I know through our Faith, in the End of it all, that God will be the center of their very existence and the seeds planted now will not waver their God given potential for the future. I continue to pray that our children see our Service to Christ, so they can emulate the very values we try to teach them daily through our words and actions.

I’ll leave you with a favorite quote from another book I have read that speaks volumes about Service:

“Relationships are never about power and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself-to Serve!!! –William Paul Young (The Shack)