Mother’s Day is just a few days away. Are you excited? Maybe you know that you’ll be delivered breakfast in bed, surrounded by your grateful family, and surprised with special gifts. Maybe you’ll be forbidden from housework for the day and you’ll be treated to lunch. Maybe you’ll be reminded of how much you’re appreciated and what a difference you make in the lives of those you love.
But, I know I’m not the only one who knows not to expect too much pampering on Sunday. You see, my husband is working.
I know I’ll be the only adult home with our six kids for the majority of the day. I know I’ll be manning this ship on my own as I pack the kids up to attend church, attempt to keep them involved and quiet during the service, and return home to fix us all a simple lunch. I know I’ll be responsible for getting everyone settled in for naps and quiet time and I’ll most likely be the only one home to get dinner on the table as well.
This is just my reality right now. And I could get depressed about it and feel sorry for myself (just ask me how I know).
But, by God’s grace, I can also use these hard moments to remind myself of the work God is doing in my life through the difficult, in the midst of the demands and the intense labor that continues on past the birthing of the six beautifully challenging children he has blessed me with.
I can take these experiences as unwelcomed hardships or I can choose to joyfully accept them, counting them as blessings to draw me into a closer dependence on God and as the shaping of my character to reflect the holy character of Christ.
So, for those of us who may feel slighted this Mother’s Day, instead of focusing on ourselves and what we’re missing, let’s look for ways to celebrate motherhood. The joys and yes the hard. Let’s encourage others and show our children just how much we love being their mom!
I’m blessed with a great reminder this year as my oldest daughter’s birthday falls on Sunday. Eight years ago, as my due date passed without event, I prayed that my little girl would join us in time for me to hold her on Mother’s Day.
Two days before Mother’s Day, Emahry officially made me a mom!
As Emahry gets older, I’m realizing more and more how much her view of womanhood and mothering depends on how I portray my roles as a wife, mom, and keeper of the home. I want her to value these roles, but how can she if I complain or drag through my days with grumbling. I would hate for her to not want to be a mom because I made it look like a constant chore.
Instead…
[Tweet “I want my girls to look forward to being moms because they see how much I love being their mom.”]
And I pray that my son will value the role of wives and mothers.
So, this Mother’s Day, instead of dwelling in the difficulty, I’m choosing to celebrate motherhood.
Would you like to treasure motherhood and celebrate Mother’s Day with me?
Here are some ideas:
- Thank God for making you a mom. Remember, children are a gift from the Lord. (Psalm 127:3)
- Fix a special breakfast for your family. This is a great way to get your mind off yourself and start the day by serving others.
- Make your kids Thanks for Making me a Mom or I’m so Glad I’m Your Mom cards.
- Write your kids lists of 10 Things I Love About Being Your Mom.
- Thank your husband for the ways he helps you be a better mom. Maybe he gives you time to unwind when he gets home from work, or gives the kids their baths, or washes a load of dishes, or works long days so you can stay home with your little ones. Look for the little things that you often take for granted.
- Take time to appreciate your own mom. Now that you’re a mom, you realize how hard her job was. Thank her for the long days and nights she poured into you.
- Encourage other moms in the middle of the hard. Send them a card, text, message or email. Let them know you see the hard work they put in and that you’re glad they are a part of your life and journey as a mom.
- If you’re out and about on Sunday, take a moment to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to the other moms you see. You never know, you might be the only one to say it to a mom who desperately needs to be encouraged.
- And to encourage yourself, print this quote about motherhood…
Save and Share on Social Media / Printable PDF
Let’s work together to celebrate motherhood. Let’s show the world the wonderful blessings we have as moms. Let’s allow this role to shape and mold us and to chip away at the selfish parts to display the glory of the one who gives us the strength we need to serve and teach and influence the lives of the children put in our care.
How can you celebrate motherhood this Mother’s Day?
A great list for this Mother’s day–I’m going to print it out and hopefully try a few. It’s a really good reminder to get out of our own heads and reach out to others a bit more. Also it helps to be grateful that my husband doesn’t feel sorry for himself when he doesn’t get much of a break on Father’s day! Our family celebrates days that fall on Sunday on Saturday instead because we feel convicted that every Sunday is the Lord’s Day and we just don’t feel comfortable giving His day in part or in full to anyone or anything else. We haven’t always done this– it’s something that we just recently felt that we should do and really it’s a heart issue so definitely not saying everyone should do the same thing. It might be fun though if your family picked a day when your husband was off to do Mother’s day so that you can enjoy the day with him.
Blessings to you and your family as you are on this amazing and challenging journey! Your family has been such an encouragement and breath of fresh air to our family. If you ever feel led to write a book about your experiences and challenges and techniques for things that have helped you–I would definitely buy it! In the meantime I’ll just keep following the blog 🙂
My oldest’s birthday is Sunday as well! He will be nine. He came home from the hospital on Mother’s Day. Blessings to you. Thank you for your beautiful posts. You encourage me!!
Thank you so much for posting this! My husband will be out of town for Mothers Day and I have been feeling sorry for myself. I love your ideas in how to make it special!