When they were babies, their dad would gather them up early on Sunday morning and take them out for donuts so I could have the luxury of extra primping time and a childfree car ride to church on Sunday morning. When they were in grade school, they made fingerprint flower paintings, crepe-paper corsages and decoupage picture frames that I would find wrapped in brown paper packages tucked in the bottom of their double-handle book bags. By the time middle school rolled around, they would head down to the kitchen on Mother’s day, toast a bagel, pour a cup of coffee and rouse me from my fake-sleep with a breakfast tray. In the past few years, our teenagers have given me coupon books, and candy studded poster board poems, and a car wash.
Mother’s day will bring more changes this year. Our oldest will arrive home this weekend while the others cram for exams. We will spend what will likely be our only Sunday at church together this summer before we enjoy lunch out as a family of 6. While the kids study and unpack, Pat and I will take a nap or spend sometime working in my garden. This mother’s day will not cost a lot of money, take a lot of time or make a big impression when I look back and review 2015, but in its simplicity, it will be glorious.
The simplicity of this Mother’s day fits appropriately in with the simple life I am living. I am so blessed to be a mom every single day I wake up, but I don’t wake up every morning and think, “Wow! I am somebody’s mother… What an outrageous blessing!” I haven’t woken up with that as my first thought in over 20 years. The fact that I am the mom of 4 amazing kids is incredible; it is something I longed and prayed for, but I have gotten used to it.
We do that with blessings. We pray for opportunities, jobs, safety, healing, babies, husbands, and successes. We rejoice when our prayers are answered, but our rejoicing is often short-lived; even the glossiest treasure loses its shine with time. Finding out you made the play or the team is thrilling, but showing up for practice 60% of the way through isn’t always as spine-tingling. The 3rd semester of college isn’t as astonishing as freshman orientation. The dream job becomes the daily grind. Tripping over your husband’s large shoes doesn’t evoke whispers of praise for the fulfillment of the man you longed for. The first cry of a newborn doesn’t sound as melodic coming from the mouth of a 3month old at 4a.m. You grow accustomed to waking up pain-free in your air-conditioned home in your lovely neighborhood in a country that stands for freedom.
On a day when everyone is reminded to celebrate mothers, enjoy the reminder to remember. Be blessed to recall how amazing your life is. This Sunday, I know that dozens of people will wish me a happy Mother’s day. I will hear it from my family and at church and from strangers at lunch. I am giving myself a challenge in thankfulness to use their well wishes as a call to freak out over the amazing truth it is that I actually am a mom. Giving thanks to God for this truth is a lot more fulfilling than taking my own bow. The dream I had as a little girl has been fulfilled 4 times over. I plan on having a personal brain party every time I hear that phrase on Sunday. I may only reply with “Thank you”, but I am going to be enjoying a secret joy dance with God over His choice to bless me by making me a mom. It takes effort to dance, but it is a lot more fun than sitting quietly on the side. When we make the effort to engage in active praise, we escape the numbness of our monotony.
We are blessed when we remember. Sometimes we need cues to trigger our memory and praises. I don’t know all of the ways that you have been blessed, but I know that you have been. I know this because I know that the same God who created the universe and everything in it loves to bless His children.
He answers prayers and He loves to hear, “Thank you.” Enjoy the joy of remembering His blessings toward you. Take time to remember the thrill of the freshness of firsts. The blessing of being healthy or free or loved or married or employed is no less a blessing on day 700 than it was on day 1. You may have gotten used to it, but it is still such a huge deal that you are a graduate or a student or a dad or a mom or a doctor or a teacher or whatever you are. Be blessed today to find a cue or trigger that will flame the joy of your answered prayers. You are living the life that God designed especially for you. Today is a great day to celebrate.
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
“May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4 (NIV)
“I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings.[a]
I will bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name
for Your constant love and truth.
You have exalted Your name
and Your promise above everything else.
On the day I called, You answered me;
You increased strength within me. “ Psalm 138:1-3 (NIV)
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil….. and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have forgotten your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent.” Revelation 2:2-5 abbr. (NJKV)
Just what I needed to hear, sister. So very thankful for YOU :)
I love you Taylor! You are a great mom. I am so very thankful for you. XOXO