Are you taken seriously?

⁴But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

⁵And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

⁶And he marvelled because of their unbelief

Mark 6:4-6a

This month I am reading through the book of Mark and the other day I came across these verses. However, even before I read these verses, I had been thinking upon them hard.

Do you ever feel like there are people who just don’t take what you are doing seriously? People who don’t respect you as a mother or feel that you are capable of doing what you are doing? Do you ever feel like your talents are not appreciated?

Now, before I go any further, let me say that I do not think that someone should be going around patting me on the back all the time. Honestly, flattering is icky to me. I enjoy a genuine compliment, but I do not care to be kissed up to all the time (Wow, I don’t think I’ve used that term since high school…:). We do not do the things we do or use our talents to get people’s approval or to get pats on our backs all the time. We do it for the glory of God.

That being said, it is nice to be appreciated and to be thought of as someone other than a kid.

Let me explain myself. Sometimes, the people you grew up with or people you see all the time are the ones that still view you as the little sister or as someone who used to be ________________ (fill in the blank). People who are in your own ‘country’ (see verses above) may never get over what you used to be or what you have always been even if you have changed.

For example, I was the baby sister in my family. There are people who still see me as the baby sister. Especially family members.

They don’t see me as a grown-up mother of four (wow, are you sure she can take care of that many kids? I mean, after all, she is the baby of the family!). They don’t see me as a mother who can possibly have the ability to do things like bake bread, garden, home school, and other old-fashioned things as such and still be able to take care of a family. Not her! She was the baby. She is the kid sister.

When I am around those in from my ‘country’ I feel that I’m surely not adequate to be doing an adequate job to have adequate children and to take care of an adequate home.

Am I the only one who has felt this way?

Sometimes I want to scream, I am capable! I don’t have four kids because I had an oops every time! I am equipped with the Lord’s help to have these children and to raise them up in the fear and admonition of God. (Don’t dare mention that you might possibly want more kids!) I will never be perfect, but stop watching me to see if I’m going to mess up. Just because I am the kid sister doesn’t mean that I can’t handle being a mother.

Okay, some days I don’t think I can handle it. But, doesn’t everyone have those days? Big sisters, kid sisters and all?

Okay, I feel better. Some.

Sometimes, it is discouraging to be in your own ‘country’. I love to talk to people who I have met after I was married or after I was ‘grown up’ because they have more respect for me and it shows through our conversation (adult conversation, anyone?). Doubt seems to flow through every area of conversation with those I grew up with (read, close family, here). Always reminding me to watch the kids. You better take care of those kids. Doesn’t he need a jacket? Don’t they need to be going to public school? Are you sure he is getting enough school done? And even more recently, She doesn’t watch her kids enough.

Sigh. I will never be big enough and qualified enough in some people eyes. It really makes you appreciate the people who appreciate you because they see past who you were and what you are now.

What are your thoughts?