Advertisers have tapped into a universal craving to stop the relentless ravages of time in the human body by pushing countless gimmicks to keep us youthful. These products may sometimes keep us healthy, but the secret fountain of youth is not a thing to buy but rather an attitude, an inner way of living in Christ.
Youth is not found in a bottle of vitamins or in a jar of face cream.
Youth is found when we connect with the source of all life deep within, in the ground of our being.
There are countless ways to connect with the Holy Spirit but as a mother, I discovered a secret, a secret few people seem to recognize.
Living with little people keeps you young.
Children live in the present moment, filled with awe at the discovery of a ladybug, fascinated with observing how sand spills through their fingers or completely absorbed as they create a clay sculpture. Mothers concentrate on giving love and nurture to their offspring, but if we don’t allow our little ones to nurture us we can become tired, empty and even resentful.
An infant touches our hearts when we gaze into their guileless eyes, but there is much more grace that we can receive if we relax and allow their love to flow into us!
In the early, hectic years I would focus on trying to carve out quiet time to sit and replenish myself.
One day while nursing one of my babies, I experienced a powerful surge of love pouring into my heart from my baby to me. I started smiling, heaviness and exhaustion lifted and joy started to bubble up from deep within me! In fact I discovered how to let my infant’s love, in union with the Love of God, fill me, replenish me, energize me and infuse my heart with a fountain of youth.
mother of nine9 
Melanie, It’s funny that you wrote about this today, because I was just telling my husband yesterday that I noticed a trend online that mothers of large families look so youthful for their age. I think you are right that children keep you young.
I loved what you said about allowing little ones to nurture us too. We get so focused on giving that we aren’t open to receive love from them. I know I need to be more mindful of this.
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sounds like God’s sort of timing…I also have to remind myself to relax and simply let a child’s life-giving love to flow into my heart
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This is very true. I am one of 9 kids and my mum looks ten years younger than she actually is. Although she has always had a very hard and busy life (for additional reasons than having a large family) she has always been told by friends and strangers how ‘young’ and ‘relaxed’ she looks. She is intrigued by this since she says she doesn’t feel young or relaxed! Still she notices how old others of her age seem – their children are grown and gone, while my youngest sister just started school this year. There must be something magical in the skin of babies that rubs off on you and keeps you young – as effective as bathing in fresh milk or buying eye cream by Miranda Kerr.
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Same to you
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I just went to a family reunion and beside the constant “I can’t believe you have 8 kids!!”, I got a lot of “You look like one yourself.”
And since I was just moaning this morning about how I finally received Connie’s book and have not been able to read even a page, this is a much needed insight that I had not considered. Thanks.
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🙂
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