Before our daughter was born, Ryan and I had many a discussion about the use of electronics once the baby arrived. We said we would decrease the use of our cell phones, television, and video games. We didn’t want her to be brought up in a home where all she saw was the all consuming effects of electronics and not giving her all of our focuses…

that was before she was born…then…she was born.

A baby that constantly slept, nursed, spit-up, and soiled diapers. The long endless hours of nursing and snuggling this little baby. LONG HOURS! Especially when Ryan was working, we had just moved and I didn’t know anyone. I played on my phone as she slept of HOURS, while she nursed for HOURS…then it did become just what I had dreaded, an all consuming habit.

WHAT? This ISN’T how I PLANNED it, this ISN’T the parent I wanted to be, what happened?

For a couple of months now, I have been feeling the tug on my heart, the gentle reminder of the mother I wanted to be, not the mother who turns on electronics and checks-out from life, family, my daughter. I have been feeling like a bad mother lately, I have been exhausted from a baby that doesn’t sleep well, and sometimes checking out seems like the easiest way to deal with things on some days… but earlier this week Ryan and I went to a christian bookstore and I was pursing the books, when I came across one called “Hands Free Mama” by: Rachel Macy Stafford, I picked it up, and instantly knew that I needed to read this book, the help that I needed to help overcome this all-consuming “addiction” to electronics. As if this wasn’t enough, I also began to read a book that my cousin recently gave me, “Set-Apart Motherhood”, by: Leslie Ludy. I am only a few chapters in, and WOW! If God isn’t speaking to me through these authors, and confirming EVERYTHING that I have been feeling!

“God gets Glory out of our motherhood when we selflessly love and serve the children He has entrusted to us even when parenting is difficult. We honor Him in our mothering when we willingly embrace the challenging task of leading our little ones to Him. He blesses us with children not merely for our own personal satisfaction but so that we can raise them up for His kingdom.” (Set-Apart Motherhood, Ludy, 2014) Wow, if that isn’t an incredible and gentle reminder of our calling as mothers! We have been called to do one of the most important jobs in the universe, yes, it is challenging, but also rewarding. It is not about us, it is about fulfilling Gods calling and bringing these little ones up to be the men and women to know and serve him. If we are so concentrated on those things that really don’t matter in the large scheme of things (electronics, tv, video games, social media, etc) and not as focused on the moment, living now, engaging our young ones, and embracing life…then are we not fulfilling Gods calling on our lives to the best of our ability?

As many of you familiar, Proverbs 31:10-31 discusses what the bible calls, “A Wife of Noble Character”. I know personally this is the woman I strive to be, although, I often fall short. This area in the bible not only focuses on the values and characteristics of a wife, but those of a mother as well. For a moment I would like to focus on one specific verse from this section, verse 27. To me, this verse really says a lot about this topic, and puts it in perspective to me.

“She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness” (NLT)

“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (NIV)

“She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive” (MSG)

“She watches over her family and never wastes her time” (NCV)

That is the same verse, from four different versions. In each one the wife watches over her family and household, however, the last portion in each version is slightly different; LAZINESS, IDLENESS, UN-PRODUCTIVENESS, WASTING TIME. WOW! If I sit on my phone and scroll through facebook, or pinterest, I sit in front of the television watching movies and shows all day, play video games, etc etc etc, instead of engaging with my daughter/husband/family, then am I being lazy, allowing idleness to set a tone in my home/life, being unproductive and wasting my time? I would say so! So I KNOW that God is at work in my life, speaking to me, teaching me…so what can I do with all of this information?

Can I change this overnight? No. Will it be easy? No, it is an addiction of sorts, and will take a lot of hard work and dedication to overcome. Will it be worth it? Yes. I will keep plugging away to decrease my dependency on electronics, to focus more on my relationship with Christ, my husband, and our daughter. I want to change my priorities. I think it will make me feel like a healthier christian, woman, wife and mother. I am going to set new standards for myself. No, I won’t get rid of social media, email or my phone…However, I will likely be without my phone and computer and television more often. I will set them aside and turn my focuses on things that are life-giving, rewarding, and important. I will continue to read, and learn and challenge myself and my family so that we can put our priorities where they belong.