8 Years Ago

I know Mother's Day is silly. I know it's a Hallmark holiday. I know it's one day to celebrate something that we ought to thank God for daily. Nonetheless, after my daughter was born in February 2003 that first Mother's Day was tough.

I felt like a mom in some ways, but in other ways I wasn't a mom at all. Did birthing a child qualify me to celebrate Mother's Day? Or did I have to wake up in the night and rock a baby to sleep to qualify? Every Mother's Day has been a little weird and a little sad for me. I kind of want to get flowers and a card and a big Thank You!

Chris reminded me of something really important last night. Every day, Mother's Day or not, is an opportunity to be thankful to God and to praise Him. If I am being self-focused on a random Tuesday or on my first "Kind of Mother's Day," then I'm not praising Him and there is no joy there.

This year I celebrate my FIRST and my EIGTH Mother's Day! And for that I'm so super thankful. I'm thankful to God that everyday for the past 7 months I get to hold Noah, get up with him in the night, rock him to sleep and nurse him. I'm thankful for a baby boy that brings me so much joy and constantly causes me to run to God for grace.

I'm also thankful that for the past 8 years I have gotten to call Aubrey my daughter. I'm thankful for her friendship and that God is growing her into such a beautiful and kind girl. I don't get to hold her and hug her and laugh with her often, but I do get to pray for her and thank Jesus that she is in my life.

God's plan is so very good! His way is perfect and He is wise in how handles each of our lives. After I had Aubrey the Lord opened my eyes and heart to Jesus and granted me repentance. I am adopted into His eternal family now. He blessed me with a relationship with my sweet daughter. He blessed me with my husband and now my precious son. They are all stewardships given to me for his glory and not my own. On my first/eighth Mother's Day I will praise God for His work in my life.