Mother's Day Model

Who could have ever imagined what it would be like to be a mother until it happens to you? You hear so many people tell you that life will never be the same and you nod and smile. You don't understand. I thought I did. I always spent time babysitting and helping friends with their kids and loved it. I always knew I wanted to be a mother and I wanted to be just like mine.

Something Clint reminded me in his sermon at Restoration on Sunday was that regardless of whether we have our own kids or not, everyone has a mother or mother figure in our lives. We were all born, all raised and Mother's Day is just one day out of the year where we can continue to honor our mothers. Growing up, I knew the Bible told me to honor them but I mostly did it because I didn't want to get in trouble or disappoint my mom. I wanted her to be proud of me and I wanted to be my mom's friend.

What a wonderful gift to have a mother that taught me self discipline even when it wasn't fun, how to clean up after myself (mainly because I didn't want her to take my things during an infamous "sack check"), how to love others around me whether they loved me back or not, how to know God and live out my faith, and how to give back to the world around because life wasn't all about me. Thank you mom for loving me when I wasn't very lovable and being my best friend throughout this journey in life.

You didn't do all these things because that was the example you had in life but because God empowered you and gifted you with the determination to love me and my sister in a way that would bless and shape our lives. I am forever thankful for you and hope to model your mothering in the years to come. May all of us raising kids today have a mother to model, whether it is our own or someone we know to encourage and inspire us.

Happy Mother's Day Mom and always know you are appreciated and loved today and every day!