What's your temperature?

I attended our last MOPS meeting of the year on Wednesday and had a wonderful time. The topic was the Fruits of the Spirit and how mothers always display all of these characteristics in their families. It definitely got me thinking about Mother's Day and to look at myself as a mother.

One of the speakers talked about the temperature in your household. No, she was not talking about the thermostat but she was talking about how your family is run. I thought about the beginning when Bill and I first got together and the temperature was H-O-T!! There was chaos in the home and a lot of anger and uncertainty. When I realized that I was going to be here for good, my natural reaction was to take over the home. The boys needed a place to feel safe. The boys needed someone who wasn't caught up in the fighting and could just play and be there for them. I needed to be the calm in their storm.

They needed a room to sleep in with all of their things in it. They needed organization. I felt I was that perfect someone.  I organized, redecorated a house that wasn't even mine nor was a living in and I began to transform it. I found bed sets for the boys room. I painted it bright warm blue. I put their favorite things on the walls. The house was stripped to its bare walls and I slowly began to fill it up with things for a family. Soon the house became a home for all of us to enjoy.

Throughout Bill and I's marriage I have remained the calm in all of life's storms. I try to never let me temperature get HOT and out of line. Many times Bill tells me that people walk all over me because of this character trait and that I have no backbone but when I look in the mirror I see the calm person that tries to not let life's curve balls get me down. I am not perfect and can always get a little too HOT at times but I feel like at the end of the day, Bill and the boys can see my consistency and feel safe that they can come to me with anything. They know my reaction will not be harsh. They know I will not yell and scream but calmly try to work things through.

I would like to say I am not proud of having a personality that makes me vulnerable to be walked on but I am proud that I can provide a safe place for the boys and that I can help calm my husband when things aren't always easy. Once I heard the speaker talk about the temperature I knew she talking directly to me and to reassure that I am doing a good job in the home. I hope that I am setting an example to the boys that life is always going to be tough but keeping calm and leaning on Him can get you through anything.

I would like my family to look at me and see a steady 75 degrees. :)