hear me when i say this, motherhood is not for the weary. nor is it a competition. a survival of the fittest.
motherhood is a journey. one that stretches you and begs you to be less in order for the tiny hearts you are raising to grow bold to what their Creator calls them to. not one of us gets it perfect.
i have a two-year old helicopter propeller that sleeps in the bed with us. {insert all your shocked gasps and disapproving frowns}
i let her drink sprite mixed with water as a treat. and most nights, she enjoys a cookie before supper. i turned her carseat forward facing at a year old instead of the recommended two year old limit. if she drops her vitamin on the floor in the morning, i blow it off and let her eat it anyway. i've been known to feed her goldfish and grapes for supper to save the argument of chicken nuggets and french fries. i lose my patience and snap in moments of frustration. i let her watch tv and color with markers. she's been spotted wearing flip-flops on a damp december night. and i've bribed her with candy more times than i can count.
each night, i collapse into bed beside her, spent and without the will to move her to her own big girl bed.
the next morning, it starts all over.
unfortunately, i too, have experienced the disapproving nods or {ever so} subtle comments from mamas telling me how to do it better.
but allow me to let you in a little secret.
there is no such thing as a mother of the year award. shocker, i know.
instead, there is a mother of the moment. the mother of the here and now.
moments when the only thing that soothes a sick baby is the rock and roll of a mama's arms. moments where your voice is the sweetest sound she has ever heard. moments when she squeals with delight the moment you pick her up from school. moments where she declares you her best friend forever. moments when your pinky fingers lock in a promise you know you will never break.
mothering is intentional. and daunting. it is sacrificial and sacred.
it is time for mamas everywhere to join hands {and hearts} and spur one another along in our journey. a word of encouragement speaks volumes to the exhausted, weary soul of a woman who has washed bottles and swept up an entire bowl of cheerios and folded the eighteenth load of the laundry and driven the equivalent of 100 miles to hither and yon and juggled homework and bills and supper, while listening intently to how her baby's day was at school.
may we speak encouragement into the hearts of mamas in our lives. and may we never cast a judgmental glance or comment over how she mothers her children. for He called her to mother her flock as best she can. just as He called you to mother yours.
'kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.'
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.'
proverbs 16:24
may we give grace to one another as we journey through motherhood together.
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