Ok, so let’s talk real life as a mom. It’s busy, fun, messy, hard and absolutely wonderful!
In my last post, I gave you a look into some of my hectic moments of motherhood and a peek into what God has been showing me through it. Today I want to show you the other side.
If you walk around my house, you’ll find a leaf on our shelf above the sink, a pine cone in one of our baskets, a heart that shows up on the bathroom mirror after hot showers and random dying flowers at any given time. I wish you could see our four year old’s smile every time he picks little flowers and holds them up to me at the door. Or hear our little one say, “Hold you, mommy,” as he looks up with expectant eyes. I love our special songs, handshakes and memory making traditions.
But you have your own.
As mothers, I think we all have tendencies to fall into the comparison trap but it’s important to remember that each family is a unique unit with its own traditions and ways of doing things. And that is so awesome. With that said, when we allow God to guide us as we guide our children, then we can glean from each other and share ideas of what works and what doesn’t.
My litmus test for a successful day of mothering has much more to do with my attitudes and reactions than the kiddos’. And truth be told, when my heart is in the right place, it usually flows over into their responses as well. But along with this I have a mental list, now an actual one because of this post, that I aim for each day. When I accomplish these things, I go to bed feeling satisfied with another day under my belt as a mom.
Every day I strive for…
- Time alone in prayer and Bible reading
- Gentle responses with my kids
- Limited screen time for the kids (except for special “game days”)
- Getting the kids active (park, trampoline, sports, etc)
- Spending time with them
It’s a full time job but one I would say yes to over and over.
So to all you moms out there, remember that no matter how many bad days you’ve had, each day is a new day to try again. We can never be perfect on our own but we can be so much more than ourselves with the help of Jesus. (So spend time with Him.) And we need help because we have little eyes looking at us to be their heroes.
On this Mother’s Day weekend, I hope we will all enjoy time with our kids and remember how blessed we are to own the title “Mom.”
everyday adventure 