Mother's Day Reflection

Mother's Day - a day to pay tribute and give thanks for you mom, your grandmother, or any motherly figure in your life. As I sit here at my computer, I am awaiting the arrival of my parents and grandparents to pull in the driveway so that we can all enjoy the afternoon together. Yes, I am thankful to both my mom and grandma and love each of them dearly, but I also am brought to thoughts of my own mothering abilities and how well (or not so well) I carry those duties out.

I am Mom to four kids - ages 4 to 13; two girls and two boys and four very different personalities! Our home is far from calm and quiet and there are many days I would trade my right arm for some peace around here! I am the cook, the maid, the teacher, the referee, the cheerleader, the entertainment director, the enforcer and the cuddler...if someone wants justice done to another sibling that has done them wrong, they search for mom....a scraped knee and tears rolling down the cheeks - look for good old mom. I am good for kisses and hugs as well as lectures and groundings.

Growing up I never imagined myself being the mother of four kids, but now I could never picture myself without them. I question how I became the mother of these four kids...the moody teenage girl, ADHD-diagnosed 12 year old, athletic and overly-coordinated 6 year old and animal-loving 4 year old. How did these certain four children end up being mine? I question that and the answer comes flooding in - God. God granted me these four children - four children of His that He has entrusted to me to raise and send back out into the world so that they can make a difference, do something to make a change on this Earth. I find myself awe-struck to think that out of all the millions of women out there, that God thought that I was going to be the best caregiver to each of these kids - that I was the one most suited for this job. He knew every problem that each of these children would face growing up, every interest they would have as they go through life and He figured me to be the one to lift them up when they fell and to guide them down their individuals paths in life. Amazing.

I will think about this as I go through my days as Mom around this house. I will remember this each time my teenage daughter and I butt heads about those things that Moms and Daughters don't agree on. I will remember this everytime I have to deal with the hyperness coming from my son with ADHD. I will remember this at every temper tantrum or sleepless night with my two younger children. I will remember the confidence that God has in me to be the Mom of these four kids. If He has the confidence in me to do this job, then I will rely and lean on this confidence at every fork in the road and will be thankful for this confidence when things seem to be going smoothly.

Mothering...it's the most rewarding, yet most challenging, job I have ever been given, but I was hand-picked for these children and I won't let them, nor my Creator, down.