I have four kids! It’s an exclamation point because my youngest is still so new. Sometimes it just catches me off guard that these four little people are mine, that I get to raise these four siblings.
My husband and I didn’t know if we’d be able to have kids at all. It took three years of testing and trying and poking and prodding, ending in a traumatic miscarriage before we had our Sam. I then had another painful loss, followed by another waiting period before Josie. Next, our Clara was a straight up surprise gift, born just fifteen months after her sister. We waited for five years then, letting my body take a breather after it had been stretched and torn and ripped and leaky through five pregnancies. And after five years, my “just one more” prayers became Theo, our family’s exclamation point.
Siblings.
They’re so cute and funny and smart, and also sassy and screamy and really good at throwing a fit. We love being together, and we’re also so sick of each other after a thousand months of being home non-stop, working and distance learning and only recently beginning to see family and friends. I love them and want to squish their faces and also want one whole day alone by myself.
Sometimes I get so mad that I laugh. Almost every night I’m exhausted, but I stay up too late on purpose because it’s the only time the house is quiet and my brain can complete a sentence. I dream of the future yet also can’t really see beyond bedtime.
And the baby we await and celebrate at Christmas was also a king — holy and human. We wait to remember His birth each year, and we wait for His return all the time. We both seek, and we are found.
I know the push and pull of mothering, of wanting to mother, of craving for silence even amidst the blessing. There is nothing easy about any of it, and everything seems contradictory — a both/and kind of living.
I read once that a goldfish will grow to fit the space it inhabits. If it’s a pond, the goldfish will swell massive. If it’s a bedroom bowl, the goldfish will stay small.
And so it is with a mothering heart — growing to accommodate more, cracking and shrinking through pain and longing, spanning seasons and decades and long days and short years.
This day is a complex one full of many emotions and experiences. Know that at (in)courage, we are praying for each of you today as you remember, celebrate, grieve, or enjoy motherhood and what it means to you. Every single woman who loves, encourages, and nurtures those who become part of the next generation is doing an amazing work and is to be celebrated today.
Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do.
I’m grateful that here at (in)courage, we have some beautiful gifts and resources for and about moms of all kinds. Two of my favorites are these:
A Mother’s Love: Celebrating Every Kind of Mom is full of reflections of God’s heart. Featuring unique and diverse stories from the (in)courage community, A Mother’s Love offers heartfelt encouragement to all kinds of moms, whether they’re a mother in a traditional sense, a spiritual mother, or a mother-like figure who breaks the mold. This book is sure to help any woman share a meaningful gift with someone who has been impactful in her life, a new mom learning the ropes, or a close loved one facing the joys and challenges of any stage and type of motherhood. Compiled with all women in mind so we can celebrate those who made us, shaped us, helped us grow, and loved us well, it’s a beautiful gift for the moms in your life.
Oh, Baby! Devotions for New Parents, from DaySpring, would also make a great gift for a new mom in your life! Each entry reminds you that God is close to you and is intimately interested in your feelings, worries, and fears surrounding parenthood. Discover how you can find peace, joy, and grace on this new journey and how God walks with you through every high and every low in Oh Baby!.
To help you celebrate the women and parents you love, we’re giving away FIVE gift bundles that include a copy of each book! Leave a comment on this post telling us about one such special parent in your life, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of A Mother’s Love and Oh, Baby!.