If Mama ain't happy?

As I was reading these verses in Doctrine and Covenants 78 , I had a little personal reminder of the power and influence of the mother in the home.

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are a little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more...

22 And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen.

As I read these verses, thoughts of motherhood touched my heart. We, the mothers are still little children, daughters of our Father in Heaven. We are still on the journey, trying and yet to understand all that is ours or our complete roles and responsibilities in eternity yet. It's a process.

I love these verses. "Be of good cheer, for I will lead thee along." We're not on this path on our own. Our Father in Heaven and our elder brother, Jesus Christ want us to return to them. The Plan was set forth that this could be accomplished. They want us to do and be our best, to succeed at whatever we do...with our biggest responsibility being our part in helping teach and raise the children that we've been blessed with. And, trust me, any woman who's ever spent an hour getting children ready for school or church, tried to have a family devotional time, tried to prepare meals, do homework and get kids off to scouts or lessons or sports... you know... we do bear all. We're not alone in this. When we are working hard at doing our best, with gratitude, all things will be added upon us as we go. I know that I, personally, could name countless times that this promise had been made true in my own role as a wife and mother.

Ironically, a teasing conversation, last night, led to the humorous statement, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". It's a joke in this home because it's oh-so true! My attitude and influence determines the mood of our home everyday. When reading these verses this morning, the funny quote took on new meaning. When the mom is working as a team, along with the guidance of our Father in Heaven, cheerfully, diligently, faithfully, the entire family is happy. Forgetting the promises of these scriptures, trying to do it without the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the joy and happiness are missing for everyone involved. So the saying should not be interpreted as "keep Mama happy or else", but even better, "If Mama is working hard at being happy herself , everyone benefits and is happy too!" enough said.