Raising children = Building a Cathedral

Every mom feels invisible sometimes. We can't help it- once we were single and stood on our own merits and now we are the support of others.

I hope to be building something great in my son, and in my family. Something that will go beyond me and into the future I cannot see.

Today, I got a really great e-mail that talks about the similarity between raising a child and building a cathedral (one of the great ones, in Europe that took generations to complete.)

The workers knew they wouldn't see the end result of their labors.

Here are four truths about cathedrals:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals-- we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

I like this story too:

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

Those small sacrifices we make every day for our children- our family- they are building something great.

We won't see the finished product, but as moms we know that the path is a worthy one.

I think this is something to think about as I am occupied with one more diaper to change, toys to pick up, laundry, all the things that take up my day.

I am building something greater than myself, and God sees.

Small things matter.