A different perspective on Mother's Day

I spent a lengthy amount of time being a bitter woman this last week. Mother's Day loomed, and this would be the first Mother's Day I would be at the mercy of my ex-husband in terms of the kids. My kids had never really been given a great model of appreciation by either one of us in terms of Mother's or Father's Day or birthdays for that matter. They had become obligatory gift-giving days, and they were stressful for me because I always had to tell him what I wanted - and I always felt selfish asking for things. Then the stress of buying him a gift became what could I buy him that he wouldn't either just go out and buy for himself OR that I wouldn't screw up because it was the wrong one.

Last week, the anger grew, and I really wanted nothing to do with Mother's Day. It seemed pointless, and I expressed as much to my small group and to my boyfriend (who was trying so hard to say the right things). I finally had gotten myself so worked up about it, that I gave in (God wiped his brow at this point and said, "It's about time!") and we prayed about it together Wednesday night.

Thursday morning I woke up, and God's peace had enveloped me. I had clearly missed the point of Mother's Day. I got up, pulled out my journal, and wrote this:

Without God's grace, love, and compassion would I be a mother? Would I have the admiration and unconditional love from my babies? No. Mother's Day is not about honoring moms. It's for all of us to be thankful for the relationship between mom and child. For moms to praise God for the honor of raising sons and daughters of God, and for children to thank Him for the arms of their mothers. God is at the helm of every relationship, and it is our responsibility to keep Him there. Whoa. Praise be to the Living God.

I texted my mom and told her that whatever she needed me to do for her on Mother's Day, I would be there to do it after church. I knew that my Mother's Day wasn't about being honored as a mom but about serving and doing it with a joyful heart. God has gifted me the honor of motherhood.

Once I let go of the bitterness of the day, it became the best Mother's Day I had ever had. My sweet boyfriend stayed up past his bedtime (he works midnights) just so he could take me to church this morning. I got some of my own gardening done. And you know something? My kids came to me from their Dad's with a tiny rosebush and Reeces peanut butter cups. He modeled thoughtfulness to the kids, and that, in itself, is the best of all of the gifts I was given today. Knowing my babies are being taught to think about others. Somehow, in all of our fast-flowing, stuff-chasing life - we had missed the mark on this one, and now we are all learning how to treat others.

Happy Mother's Day, friends. Much love . . .