With Mother’s Day in the rearview mirror, it is easy to peruse the posts on Facebook or Instagram from that day and feel less than. With Pinterest perfection glaring all of us moms in the face, it is easy to beat ourselves up by feeling that we could do better and are not good enough.
Is it true? Could I do better? Yes, sometimes it is. I could do better. Sometimes, I don’t feel like going anywhere or doing anything, but my daughter wants to go swimming at the gym. I say no, but I really could take her if I would put my own wishes aside.
Those are the things I beat myself up over. Being selfish. Not discipling enough or discipling too hard. Having too much grace or not having any grace at all. Have I asked too much of them or not asked enough. Those are the things which I beat myself up over in my heart and mind.
The truth is that no mother is perfect. I am not the best mom ever, but I am a good mom.
I remember when Lauren was about 3 or 4 years old, she had gotten up in the middle of the night and was sick. I can’t really remember the circumstances of why she was ill, but I remember being up with her for quite a while.
I remember rubbing her brow with a cool, damp washcloth. The only light shining in the darkness of the house come from a nightlight plugged into the wall. I will never forget how she reached up and stroked my cheek with her little hand, and said, “Mommy, you’re going to win a trophy for this.”
There have been times in my life (and probably in yours too) when someone says something to you whether it be a friend, a family member, or a pastor, and you know beyond a shadow of doubt that God has just used them as a vessel to give you a message. God had just spoken through them.
In that moment, my heart was caught up in my chest, and tears welled up in my eyes. The truth was I was tired, and I selfishly wanted to get back into my bed. My snoozing husband would have no idea the amount of time I had been up that night with our daughter. My other two children would not know. There would be no pics on Facebook or Instagram, but God knew. God saw my sacrifice.
These are the unseen and unsung moments that makes great moms. Those hours in the middle of the night where we are changing soiled sheets, taking children to the doctors, making homemade birthday cakes, snuggling while watching a movie, spending two hours in the kitchen to make dinner, or giving a child some discipline they desperately deserve.
God knows and He sees all of the unseen and the unsung moments. I don’t know if I will receive a trophy for being a mom, but I do know that God knows and sees the sacrifices I make. My trophy would be to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Now, that would be perfect!