servanthood

After a long week of basically being "Mom's Taxi Service" and running my children here, there and everywhere, this rainy Monday morning finds me battling myself to not be cranky. I woke up feeling more rested than usual, since I actually made a good choice last night to hit the sack early, but it didn't seem to help much when I encountered the first ungrateful child of the day. Let's just say I returned her unpleasantries in a less-than-mature manner. In retrospect, it leaves me frustrated with myself and the lack of humble servanthood that is within. I spent much of the past few hours grumbling internally about how much I do for people who just return my service with unappreciative crankiness or flat out snotty attitudes. Who take all I give and simply turn without so much as a thank you. Or, worst of all, take and then ask for more. But then God allowed me to see that really, what I was looking at was just a reflection of how I am most of the time with Him. My gracious Heavenly Father supplies my every need, and frankly, a good portion of my wants, and what does he get in return? Attitude. Grumbling. And a greedy "but I want moooooorreeee.....". Yep, what I see in my children is myself.

And as for my wishing to not feel like everybody's servant... Well, I was reminded of the picture of Jesus washing the disciples feet. We can easily gloss over this scene as a symbolic act, or maybe something we do ritually at church, but this morning I personally needed to look the at the nitty gritty of Jesus' selfless act. He was literally doing the very real, (and in my opinion, nasty) job of a servant. We are talkin' toe-jams here, people. Think flip-flops and dusty roads. He took the position and posture of a servant. So, here I am, asking myself...am I really so 'put-upon' to have to get up early to make lunches for those who could easily make their own? To take some extra time to go out of my way to deliver forgotten items? To do some extra chores assigned to kiddos who are occasionally busy just having fun being kids? Nope. It's my calling. I am called to a life of servanthood. NOT just because I'm a mom, but because I am a Christ-follower, and this is how He lived.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
~Philippians 2:4-7