You Are Who They Call “Mom” (A Tribute to Moms)

It started as a prayer, “Lord please allow me to have a child”.  Or perhaps it came as a desperate cry of, “Help me!”, as the surprise of pregnancy became your reality.

The emotions begin

Excitement, anxiety, questions, hope, fear and curiosity became the emotions that ebbed and flowed as Baby grew inside you.  

Time grew near for you to give birth to this miracle.  No person, no book, no video, could completely prepare you for what you would experience as your child entered into the world and was placed upon you.

The awe

The awe, the wonder, the beauty of this precious creation is beyond words.  You question how your love for this new human being could be so strong?  You then get a glimpse of how deep the Father’s love must be for you.  Your awe and wonder of God’s love intensifies.  

You give all you can to care for and love this new little inhabitant of your home.  This leads to sleep deprivation, extreme fatigue and weariness.  You begin to cry for unknown reasons and become confused.  How could you be sad when something so happy just happened?  

Harder, but better than you thought

It’s normal they say.  Taking care of a newborn is hard.  It is a rollercoaster of emotions.  Higher highs and lower lows than you have experienced before.  You keep caring.  You keep loving.  You keep feeding, and feeding and feeding.  

Books, phone calls and searches for answers to your questions are sought out.  How do I get this child to sleep and stay asleep?  Should he be on a schedule? How many naps does she need? What do I do when she gets sick?  What is normal?  When should I be worried?  

For each question there are a myriad of answers from experts on all sides of the spectrum.  Whom do you trust, whom do you believe?

You pray.  You seek your trusted friends and family.  You trust that God will help you do what you need to do to raise this child.

It hits you how much of a responsibility you have been given.  You study the Bible.  You learn what is expected as a parent.  It is daunting.  How do I impart God’s Word and His truth into this tiny being?  You pray, “Lord, help me”. 

You realize this tiny, precious miracle is far from obedient.  The tantrums begin, the fits, the screaming, the refusal to do as you say is somedays more than you can bear.  More questions, concerns, and doubt in your ability arise.  How do I discipline?  How do I handle this?  What do I do about that?  You seek the wisdom of others and keep praying.

They were right about how quick they grow

The days are long, yet all of a sudden school age comes along and you wonder what happened.  How did that time go so fast?

The school years begin.  Perhaps more children have entered the scene.  More activities have been added to your schedule.  You manage all your plates, balancing this life the best you know how.

New stages. New seasons.  Each bringing new challenges as well as new blessings.  

You pray continually.  You know you are completely incapable of doing this mom task on your own.  You become utterly dependent upon the Lord.  So many difficulties and struggles have come along in raising this child.  And yet, the joys, the blessings and the rewards are what keep you going.  The struggles are worth it.  The little moments on the couch reading together, tucking them in at night, the giggles and the fun seem to drown out the long, difficult days of struggles you experience as a mom.  

Your role begins to change

Your child has grown now.  You see the maturity happening before your eyes.  You head turns thinking your husband is in the room and realize it is your son.  How could that be?  Your daughter resembles a young woman, not the little girl you almost forget she used to be.

You know that time is coming when your role as mom will change.  Your child will be grown and no longer living under your roof.  It will be time to let go.  

The praying will continue.  You long for your child to follow the path you prayed for them to take.  It is out of your control now.  

Dependance on the Lord never became more important than when your child leaves the nest.  You wonder, “Did I do enough?  Did I do too much?  Do they know what to do now?”  The questions, concerns, and the worry never end.   But the answer remains the same, pray. 

You are who they call “mom”.  You’ve sacrificed, you’ve loved, you’ve cried, you’ve prayed, you’ve done your best, and sometimes failed, but you’ve gotten back at it again.  You’ve refocused and pressed on.  

You are blessed. 

You are who they call “mom”.  

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there!