What does it mean to be a mother?
To me, it means sacrifice. It means opening your heart and pouring out all of your love, whether it is returned or not. It means having the courage to give life to others. It means rising before the sun to prepare the day for your family. It means that you are an event-planner, a teacher, a nurse, a story-teller, a sounding board, and whatever role the moment calls for. It means offering comfort and joy and peace and hope. It means giving your children a chance to know God's love before they ever learn to read about it.
It means humbly submitting to the Lord and seeking Him for your strength and for answers. It means teaching your daughters that true beauty is found in the soul and how to discern between men who love God and men who love themselves. It means teaching your sons to be honorable and respectful, and the treasure found in the love of a godly woman. It means waking up hours earlier than usual on Saturday mornings to watch your children play games and run races. It means never wanting the last piece of cake.
It means planting the seeds of your soul into the hearts of your children and watering them with your tears. It means quiet mornings with the Lord. It means beginning and ending each blessed day by your bed on your knees, praising and thanking the Maker of it. It means always finding the good. It means honoring the elderly and treasuring their wisdom.
It means making your hands beautiful by putting them forever on the search for service. It means offering your full attention when your child presents, and your full service when your child is sick. It means unconditional love. It means that you are always, always able to talk and that your children are always wanted. It means that your children are never exposed to your wrath, but rather that they learn discipline in your patient explanations in love.
It means seeing Christ everywhere- and sharing this with your children. It means letting your family know that they are more important than your career- that they are your dream. It means seeing a 30-minute wait in a doctor's office with a 7-year-old as the perfect opportunity to read and explain the book of Ruth. It means investing in someone what no one will ever be able to take away- something eternal.
