There is no “Mother of the Year Award.”

Yesterday, a frazzled friend said something to me about not winning the “mother of the year award.”  I said the same thing to her that I want to say to you:

There is no such thing.

Because none of us would win it.

We all have our moments of mothering madness.  The moments we cringe to remember, the ones we want to forget.

Because mothers all have one thing in common:

We are human.

We make mistakes.

We sin.

We need our Savior.

And, do you know what?  So do our children.  And our husbands.

And that makes this hard.  Our homes are filled with humans.  Our lives are full of the flawed.

It’s a recipe for disaster until you add the redeeming ingredient of grace.

That mom who has it all together?  She has her moments, too.  

That standard you’re trying to live up to?  You know the one:  perfection?  Christ met it for you.

The failures you want to forget?  Christ will forgive them.

In mothering, there is no award to aim for, but there is a reward to reach for.

It’s him.  He is our great reward, and he is waiting to reward us.

So, let me say something to you that a prophet once said to a king trying to parent some difficult people:

“Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7)

You will not get it all right, but don’t give up.

Your father sees your faithfulness just as much as your failures.

And, chances are your children do, too.

On the hard days, relax, regroup and remember:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)