Traffic Jams

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,  but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ".  Romans 8: 19-21

"Parent's are often so busy with the physical rearing of children that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking leaves."  Marcelene Cox

    So life is frustrating sometimes.  You may have a great job doing what you love..and the fact is that there are going to be days that you wake up late, it is snowing outside,  you can't find your car keys, and you have to sit in rush hour traffic for an hour and a half to get to work, oh yeah, and then you have to get back.  You may be independently wealthy.  There are still frustrations.  THe lines outside Manolo Blahnik when there is a sale going on, those annoying unwealthy people who still think they have rights, the fear that someone is going to steal your money,  the concern that people are only around you because of your money. (they are)  I digress.  My comment is how come parents, moms especially seem to be obsessed with incessantly focussing on, and talking about the 'traffic jams' (or Manolo Blahnik sale days) of their lives?  

   I mean our job incentives happy, well rounded intelligent  kids who love the Lord and interact well with others.  Our job perks are giggles and kisses and snuggles. Oh and the dress code? Definitely casual.   If you have ever worked corporate America when was the last time a co-worker gave you eskimo kisses?  When was the last time a subordinate climbed up into your lap because the world just seemed better and/or safer from there?  When was the last time your boss decided that due to the weather all work would be cancelled and the day would be spent at the park/beach?  But instead of embracing the opportunity we have been given we look down at our sweats and t-shirts and complain that we have turned 'frumpy' (you'd rather be in a suit?).  We bemoan the loss of business lunches while having been given the option of a peanut butter and jelly picnic.  We complain about the monotony, then in the same breath we complain because of the lack of predictability.  

  I DO understand the frustrations of parenting.  The pay rate is NOT competitive.  The hours are long and the lack of sick/personal days are killer.  There are definitely days I want to pull my hair out because of my children, most days my former job looks like a vacation.  But I vent because lately I feel like I am involved in a big game of "whose life as a mom is hardest" and I'm not going to take it anymore.!!! Ok i am TOTALLY going to take it anymore because all my frustrations are not really going to go any farther than here and I will smile and nod tomorrow the same as I did today.  BUT consider for a moment the next time you find yourself going to complain to someone about how hard your life as a mom is.....what would you rather be doing instead?  Consider..what else are you doing? or COULD be doing that counts for ANYTHING let alone eternity?  I mean anything that is worth doing SHOULD be hard.  It's not the elite competitive athletes that you hear complaining about the amount of miles they have to run?  That usually comes from the rest of us schleps forced to run in gym class.  It's not the person pushing for their doctorate that complains about the amount of homework that is given? Nor is it the doctor staying long hours in a lab looking for a cure for cancer that complains --that is usually reserved for the secretary forced to work through her lunch hour.  Being a parent I think is truly harder than pretty much anything else that you could be doing..BUT it is WORTH IT.