When Mother's Day Ends Unprettily

Sometimes Mother’s Day is full of flowers and lazy afternoons and all the kids smiling and getting along marvelously.

And then sometimes Mother’s Day comes at the end of a very long and intensely busy week and it ends with me falling asleep in the middle of reading a book aloud to you at 7:00 PM and then waking up to hear screaming protests from every.single.bedroom in the house because Daddy is trying to make you go to bed even though you are NOT TIRED AT ALL. And then the next day is Monday and my goodness is it ever Monday. And Monday is full of headaches and whining and quarreling and emotional spirals and a mom who is desperately awaiting the next bedtime.

Motherhood is tired, and sometimes I forget to see the hope.

Motherhood is frustrating, and sometimes I forget to see the point.

Motherhood is messy, and sometimes I forget to see the beauty.

Motherhood is slow, and sometimes I forget how quickly the years will pass.

Motherhood is helpless, and sometimes I forget to lean on grace.

But you. You are spent and sobbing through yawns and fighting sleep with every ounce of your six year old strength tonight. You are outside of me, and I cannot tune your heart or make you see reason. You are outside of me, but you are a part of me, and I love you so much that it aches.

Motherhood is tired, but it is staying up and whispering words of hope and promise into the dark over your sleeping form.

Motherhood is frustrating, but it is embracing the long view and knowing that the good Shepherd never lets the journey go to waste.

Motherhood is messy, but it is willingly entering into the mess beside you and entrusting my mistakes into the hands of a Potter who turns ashes into beauty.

Motherhood is slow, but it is living in the day as long as it is called “today”, and walking by faith the path laid out beforehand.

Motherhood is helpless, but it is not. It is depending on the Helper who loves you better than I ever can. It is crying out every morning for wisdom and every night for mercy.

I know today was a hard day for you. It was hard for me too. But even on a hard Monday, you are full of hope and purpose and beauty and grace. You are full of the image of God and motherhood is growing with you in that image. Motherhood is hard, but I want you to know - even on the hardest Monday after Mother's Day - that you are worth it.