In Other Words--An Unhappy Mother

"I don't want to be that mother!" she blurted out.

Her surprised friend gently asked, "What mother?"

"The mother whose children have to tiptoe around her because they don't know if today is a crying day or an angry day."

"Isn't that a good enough reason to get help?"

And it was. The friends were discussing some depression that one of them was experiencing. Having grown up in a bipolar home, depression scared her. Her own mother would spend days locked in her room crying. Then there would be days that were "normal" by most people's definitions. But even those days were punctuated by a short-temper and angry outbursts. She didn't want her children to remember her the way she remembered her mother.

"'If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!'
We smile as we read the wall plaque in the novelty store. But our smile quickly turns to a frown if truly "Mama ain't happy." This is because the wife and mother in a family often "sets the tone" in the home. The "tone" God wants her to set is one of joy, optimism, and a delight in the Lord and in her family. If your family were called upon to describe you, what would they say?"
~Martha Peace, "The Excellent Wife"

The mother sets the tone of the house. But what if the reason that "mama ain't happy" is more physical than a choice? Then it is a good reason to get help. In fact, it is more than a reason, it is a necessity. If this is you, please choose to get help. Go to the Great Physician with your concerns. But also, please, see your local physician for help.

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13

Christin at As Gold Refined is our hostess for In Other Words this week. Visit and be blessed.