It’s really only when you become a mother that you understand that all mothers have a secret mission. This mission is gifted to us by God and is a life-long one with challenges, obstacles, payoff, and benefits in spades.
It is one that, if we’re willing and conscientious, will make us better people for it. As we grow into the roles that we were lovingly, carefully designed to fulfill, it makes the family and community that surrounds us better.
It’s not glamourous and there is really little recognition of all the myriad of things that you will do day in and day out. There is no monetary compensation. In fact, it will empty your pockets. It will make you fret, it will force you to save, to budget and it will make you lie awake at night wondering if you’d done the right thing. And you will inevitably, endlessly fail many, many, many times.
Worse still, the hardest part of the job is the emotional toll of having “your heart go walking around outside your body.” The pain you might personally experience is nothing like the pain of seeing your children get hurt.
But needless to say, all of these pitfalls will never outweigh all the myriad of wonderful things that come with motherhood. The hardest job in the world is the one with the biggest rewards as we get to witness the slow and secret unfurling of the unique potential within each and every one of our children. There are sweetness and smiles and butterfly kisses. Funny little birthday cards and memories, mementos, and tiny, perfect toes. Stories and lessons and realizations and more.
There isn’t anything more frustrating or satisfying in raising a family. It is in the ups and downs of family life that we realize that we are made to love, in love, for love.
And it is also only when we have our own children that we really can understand the heart of our parents. The experience of parenthood gives us a glimpse into the heart of God, connects us more deeply to one another, and helps us to appreciate more fully our own parents.
When we celebrate Mother’s Day, we celebrate all mothers. We also celebrate one mother as we are each blessed – in God’s loving design – with one mother in all the world. Celebrate yours today.