I opened my eyes halfway, closed them again, stretched my limbs, and rolled over, snuggled into the plush blankets. Bliss! I heard my husband sneak into the kitchen and begin making breakfast- oh what? He never does that! But it's MOTHER'S DAY! Yesssss... I SO deserve this. I make breakfast EVERY day. Without complaining! Mother's day is for me. I'm the sweetest, Mother Goose mother imagined by mankind and purposed by God. I don't ever raise my voice at my children. I discipline always with perfect grace and truth. I always go the extra mile to keep the house sparkling. Even if I feel tired, which is rare, I keep both our home and my marriage in tip top shape. My children arise and call me blessed- every morning! Imagine that! Yes... Mother's Day is definitely for ME. And I let my head sink gloriously into my memory foam pillow, and savor the aroma of coffee and breakfast wafting in from the kitchen... .....
!!
REALLY!?
I hate to disappoint you. But I am not this mother.
Does this mother even exist?
Why yes she does!!
Where, you ask? In the greeting cards at the store. You've seen them. ...and like me, I'm sure you've bought some... :)
"Mom, you deserve it..."
"Mom, you always have been there..."
"Mom, what a perfect example you are..."
Do you want to know how I REALLY felt when I woke up yesterday (Mother's Day)?? I pried my eyes open (ok not really, but I sure felt that way), grumbled in my head about how if I want coffee I and breakfast I have to get up and walk 10 feet to go make it haha... realized it's Mother's Day, and felt guilty. Ok, before you go all crazy on me, I don't mean unhealthy, excessive guilt. But the guilt that knew that another year of struggling and battling had passed, and that another year of that was beginning. The daily gift and opportunity AND challenge of parenting. I thought about the times I had chosen an ungodly response to my children's behavior. The times I snapped (my friends are laughing). The times I couldn't figure out how to discipline. The times I was truly too tired to clean up the clutter. The times I wasn't truly too tired but made that choice anyway. The times I didn't BE a part of the family because I was hormonal or whatnot. So really? Mother's Day? What kind of celebration is this!? How does it REALLY feel to receive a Mother's Day card full of thoughtful, loving sentiments, and know in my heart what really happened this year?
Truth is, there IS something else that happened this year, just as it has every year and will continue to. And that is that as a Child of God, He promises to continue to mold and shape me into the likeness of Christ. He doesn't promise me what that will look like on a daily or even yearly basis. But He promises that He is DOING that.
And you know something? He's not doing it for that 'perfect mother'. Instead, He is doing it for each and every one of us - real moms. Moms who get frustrated. Crabby. Tired. Emotional. Hormonal. Angry. And moms who also experience those breakthrough moments of joy, of pride in our children, of progress in our marriage, of strengthening in our walk with Christ.
I've included a link to a great article below, about a healthier focus for 'Mother's Day'. Because it is difficult for me to look at myself with any praise on a day called "Mother's Day". But there are truths from Scripture that I need to remember:
-He is WITH me
-He SINGS over me
-He REJOICES over me
-He is my SHIELD
-He is my HELP
-He is my STRENGTH
-He is my FATHER. Yes He parents me.
-He loves me just the way I am. And He desires to take all the yuck in me, all the filthiness, all the mistakes, and continue His work. But He doesn't force me. Like a loving parent, He beckons me, and URGES me toward the right way. And yes, He disciplines me in His love and wisdom.
Dear Real Mom,
HE is deserving of all praise and adoration.
HE has always been there.
HE is the perfect example always.
...Press on!
THESE are the kinds of encouragements and remarks that I, as a real mom, want to hear on Mother's Day. You sure won't find that in any greeting card.
I hope you find the article below encouraging, fellow moms, friends, women of God! I sure did. :)
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