A Somewhat Belated Mother's Day Reflection

It's true, you know, that children are a blessing. I say it too myself often, even when I am dog tired, wanting desperately to sleep through the night, or when I I feel like a short order cook at mealtime and nobody wants to eat their dinner, or when I can't seem to fathom how everything upstairs has made it's way downstairs and vice versa. 

These children are teaching me things.

-They teach me how to multi-task, all 3 needing immediate attention at the exact same time for some ridiculous life or death sounding crisis.

-They teach me how to laugh at the little things because sometimes just the little things can be boring and mundane and just so everyday and then somebody says something funny and I can't help but all out belly laugh.

They teach me to die to myself, which is something I don't do by nature, but am learning that my own selfishness is just too complicated to try to heap on the top of the day to day needs. 

-They teach me about the Gospel, and how much I need to grab hold of grace and treasure Christ and allow it to seep into all that I am and all that I do.

Mothering is so much more about me than I realize. I think a lot of times I think that mothering is all about these children that God has given to me, but then I see how much it really is a lot about me too, with the latter actually being the most important. My heart, my reflection of Christ, my responses to immaturity and sin-these are constantly being tested. I am being watched carefully and the way I act is a BIG DEAL. I tell them what the Bible says about sin and disobedience and then we all try it out together and guess what????? We all fail. Me too. I am lumped in there with them, still learning how messy the human heart can be. 

I really wouldn't want it any other way. I have felt the profound grace of the Gospel in moments of utter failure as a parent. I am grateful for it. I am still experiencing growing pains in Christ. 

So, my loves, we can run this race together. We can try and try again and admit our failures and ask for grace. We can pray and sing and turn around and blow it, but be offered chance and chance again. We can hold each other up in prayer, offering encouragement along the way, recognizing our constant need for a Savior. It's going to be painful and difficult sometimes, but I am so glad that God gave me each one of you to run alongside.