One mother’s “fear of laziness” prompts reflections on what Jesus said about time.

ANGELA DENKER
Red Letter Christians

I used to participate in some mommy message boards shortly after my boys Jacob (4) and Josh (1) were born. Sometimes, in the fatigue and stress and anxiety of sleeplessness and colic, conversations on the mommy boards got a little heated. And when they did, I noticed the #1 insult that well-meaning, kind moms would toss one another’s way: lazy.

We don’t want to be lazy. That stereotypical woman, sitting on the couch in her bathrobe watching soap operas and eating bon bons. (This sounds fabulous, by the way, if you replace soap operas with Bravo reality TV.)

But the insult always caught me short, too. Am I being lazy when I tried letting my colicky baby self-soothe for three minutes? Am I being lazy for using plastic bottles?

Am I being lazy for allowing an allotment of TV? For Easy Mac?

Lazy for having stretch marks?

Lazy for a career that has taken a detour with two little boys at home?

The fear of laziness has made me do all sorts of crazy things, and I can feel it ramping up whenever I’m tired or anxious or stressed or overwhelmed.

Read more of Angela’s blog, including Jesus’ words about time.

Last Updated on August 28, 2017