Full-time mother has servant’s heart

Published 6:45 am Saturday, May 13, 2017

A wife of noble character is worth far more than rubies, according to Proverbs 31:10, and noble is how Jennifer Hall’s family describes her.

Hall works full time tending to her three children, ages 4, 3 and 11 months. She devotes herself to teaching them lessons about letters, life and the love of Christ through one-on-one and family interaction.

Lessons from home

Hall’s passion for teaching began before her passion for her children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree from Auburn University, and an educational specialist degree from the University of Alabama. She taught for three years at Athens Intermediate School before she decided she wanted to have children of her own.

“She’s a full-time teacher with those children,” said June Osborne, Hall’s grandmother. “It’s amazing the time they spend with books. She takes them to the (Athens-Limestone Public) library every week for Storytime, and they’re faithful Christians.”

Some of the lessons Hall’s children learn can’t be found in a textbook, such as how to love and show empathy for others.

Hall doesn’t just take time to teach her children the alphabet, she takes time out of each day to teach them about faith through reading from the Bible and singing songs, said Jill Adams, Hall’s mother.

Adams said she’s never seen any of the children envy each other because of how Jennifer teaches them that they are all special.

“Jennifer will make a point to show them that they are individuals,” she said. “She doesn’t allow the others to have presents at birthdays because she wants them to learn to be happy for others.”

When the children play games, Jennifer emphasizes good sportsmanship, Adams said.

Hall said she tries to prevent any jealousy by showing the children how to bring their unique skills to the table.

“I kept the girls involved and made them feel like a special part of the new baby experience,” Hall said, adding that while she was pregnant with her second child she practiced with her oldest to help prepare the child for the new baby. “We praised them when they (helped) and they would just light up when they felt like they were valuable and had something to offer.”

Hall also used the experience to teach the children what their faith says about families.

“I think teaching them from the Bible and teaching them their role as a sister and how family works helps,” she said. “They learn how they can help their family and how they can be servants.”

A servant’s heart

Hall teaches her children to follow Christ through good works and thinking of others.

“We set aside a day of the week to talk about things we can do for others, and I think that idea has come into play in different aspects of their lives,” she said. “ We talk about how we can pray for different people and we write cards to the sick.”

Since her children are getting older, she asks for their ideas on how to help others.

“Sometimes they come up with things I haven’t thought of,” she said. “That all ties in with how they can help their family.”

Hall’s husband Dustin said he and Hall knew they wanted their children’s faith to stay grounded in Christ, and Hall has continuously made that a priority in their lives.

“We want to raise our kids to be good Christians and citizens in God’s Kingdom,” he said. “We’re just trying to carry the ball for the next generation.”

Savor each minute

With only so many hours in the day, Hall makes each one count to the fullest by limiting distractions and cherishing each minute she has with her children.

“I’ve been blessed with a husband who works really hard to let me stay home during the day,” she said. “I don’t have any social media accounts. I just found those things to be not worthy of my time because they were distractions. I try to do the basic necessities and chores around the house, but I try to cherish the time I have with the kids and only do the things that are important.”

Hall said there are days when her house isn’t spotless and laundry is piled high, but those things are insignificant details when she looks at the big picture.

“I try to remember these years are short,” she said. “We read a lot of books and…I try to take the time to teach them letters and numbers, and that gives me more time with them.”

Dustin said watching Hall transform into a mother has been amazing.

“The main thing, obviously, is how her devotion and love went from herself to her kids. She always puts herself last and the kids and me first,” he said. “I get tickled sometimes because we’ll be talking about how the day went, and she’ll say she feels guilty because she let the kids watch two TV shows so she could get a shower. She keeps the kids a priority. Maybe the laundry piles up a day or two a week and the shelves might get a little dusty, but the kids and their life take precedence over those things.”

Adams said she enjoys watching her daughter become a mother.

“I often tell her that I wish I was as good of a mother to her as she is to those children,” Adams said. “I followed my children around and picked up after them all the time. Jennifer still makes time to do that, but those things aren’t her priority. To me, she is a Proverbs 31’s virtuous woman. The number one thing I’ve learned from her is that children need to learn to clean up, but it’s OK for toys to be strewn and messed up for a while.”

Mama said there’d be days like this

As with anyone, Hall’s days aren’t perfect. There are times when she is overwhelmed and frustrated, but when life seems to be pushing too hard, Hall said she remembers her faith and, with the help of God, pushes back.

“I read the Bible for encouragement and strength,” she said, adding that just that day she took 30 minutes to read Psalms for encouragement. “First and foremost, my faith gets me through weak moments. I also have good advice from family members and close friends.”

Hall said while faith is No. 1 in her life, her husband is a close second.

“I could not have three children without him as my teammate,” she said. “Him being my teammate, besides my faith, is the most important factor. He comes in and helps with chores, helps with basic things around the house, and he plays with (the children). I look forward to him coming home in the evenings and being able to do this together — to be together as a family and for him to be there to lean on.”

When Hall needs some words of encouragement — or an “I’ve been there” story — she said she calls on her friends to get her through tough mommy moments.

“I have a close group of friends who all have children and we regularly talk about our struggles and give advice,” she said. “It was tough during the early days of having children close together in age because you’ve got a toddler and a newborn, but it’s turned out to be great how close they are. Now that they’re older, they’re best friends.”