Hey, all you moms out there… I see you!!
I love scrolling Facebook on special days. On Mother’s Day the posts are flooded with beautiful pictures and heartfelt sentiments of how our mothers and special women in our lives have shaped us, encouraged us, taught us to be the women we are today. I love it all.
How wonderful to see staged pictures of us, mothers, grandmothers, daughters. Lovely women, strong women, beautiful women. We all look happy, put together, at ease. Because we are….
But, what you don’t see is in those photos and posts is the mess. The management of the chaos, the worry and weariness, the late nights and the early mornings, the sad spells and flashes of anger, the dirty dishes and the mountain of laundry, the hugs that heal and the words that hurt.
Because we are all of this too!
And, I see you.
I can remember when my husband and I first brought Gillian home as a newborn. We were figuring it all out, arguing about something. I don’t even remember what it was. But Jeff mentioned that he couldn’t understand why I was angry because he was doing everything I told him to do. And, bless his heart, he was, but without pausing, I snapped back, “WHO TELLS ME WHAT TO DO?”
Sometimes I need someone to tell me what to do; sometimes I don’t want anyone to tell me what to do. But do we ever really know what to do? I’d have to say I’m winging it most of the time. And, I’ve had to call on Jesus more than once!
As mommas, we get to care for these little creatures who grow up to burst our hearts with pride and sometimes with humility. Our moments of feeling unappreciated and overwhelmed can sometimes cloud the beauty in the learning and the discovering how to raise good, God-loving, independent adults. Some make it look easy, but more times than not, it’s anything but easy. Just like anything that takes effort, though, the rewards outweigh the struggle and sweat.
So, to all the mommas out there, I see you! And, you are doing great!
The young mommas with all the questions and all the worry.
The mommas of kiddos in all the things running you ragged.
The mommas letting go in graduations and mommas setting boundaries.
The mommas watching your sweeties live out their dreams and the mommas watching dreams shattered.
The mommas whose hearts are full and the mommas whose hearts are broken.
And, not only do I see you.
You can rest in the promise that God sees you, too. He walks before you and with you….in the joy and in the mess. In the excitement and in the heartbreak. In the smiles and in the tears. He sees you. He loves you. And, He is good.
So as Mother’s Day comes to a close, I hope you were able to spend time and make memories with those you love and know that even if the day didn’t hold the all the expected blessings, that you are seen and that you are loved.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)