It is a story of 3 men doing the same job. When the first man was asked what task he was performing he replied "I am making bricks." When the second man was asked what task he was performing he replied "I am building a wall." But when the third man was asked what task he was performing, he replied "I am building a cathedral"
And such is parenting. This past mother's day I reflected a lot on how I view motherhood. If I am honest I would say that much of the time, if asked, I would reply "I am making bricks". I am in the thick of requiring obedience, making sure teeth are flossed, you do not hit/kick/bite/punch your sibling, eat your vegetables, do your math sheet, have you practiced piano, what park/trail/bike path should we go on today, school is starting in 10 minutes, please learn to put your own shoes/sweatshirt/socks on Caleb etc. Bricks....good bricks. Some come together easily and some are hard to get together. I am not knocking bricks. We need bricks.
Other times I look ahead enough to see the wall I am building. Modeling the importance of being in God's word, being a good friend and sibling, having empathy for others, taking on a challenge and seeing it through to completion. Molding good morals and virtues in my children. Wonderful, beautiful walls but still lacking the "big picture".
Often, I miss the big, beautiful picture of the cathedral God is building. I want all the bricks to be easy and uniform but sometimes the bricks are messy and the building is tough. Those are some of the most beautiful spots God has built in my cathedral but I can't say I always desire those spots in my childrens cathedral. While the hard job of building is going on, it is so good for me to step back and remember that this building is for eternity. We are not meant to be built for temporal, earthly time. This building is forever.
Each of my children are a cathedral and God is building them and I am helping shape and mold them brick by brick. That is a beautiful image for this Mother's Day and a good reminder for the rest of the year. Especially when I am tempted to think that "I am just making bricks" Mothers....we are helping construct Cathedrals....brick by brick, wall by wall. I have an image in my head of the beautiful cathedral each of my children are being built into. It is amazing. It helps me when I am in the hard work of making bricks to remember that each brick will contribute to something so amazing.
So Happy Mothers Day to all you amazing Cathedral Builders out there!! Our world is a better place because of all the hard work you are doing!
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