Laura Bennet – Author

Mom’s often get a bad rap.

We’re the household chore police, the unwelcome nutritionists and the homework dictators. But no one but a mom truly knows the extent of our behind the scenes sacrifice. (Kudos to you dads who get it!)

Most days (and often into the night), Moms:

• Plan and cook meals and pack lunches
• Clean the house, car, yard and numerous indescribable kid and pet messes in between
• Shop for everything including the last minute I-need-this-for-school-tomorrow items
• Pay bills and/or balance the accounts
• Educate their children in the way of money, relationships, household tasks, cooking, etc.
• Run errands – cleaners, bank, post office, drop off, pick up, and miscellaneous others
• Do laundry and ironing (hanging up damp clothes after a few minutes toss in the dryer eliminates ironing 99% of the time. Your welcome.)
• Schedule everyone’s extra-curricular activities and maintain a family calendar
• Attend school functions, awards, games and events – often running them!
• Take care of sick children and bandage their wounds – including cleaning up vomit
• Nurse infants
• Train children to eat, sleep, use a potty, tie their shoes, pick up toys and learn their ABC’s
• Listen to their children’s stories
• Tie shoes – multiple times per day
• Dry tears
• Give hugs
• Make special treats
• Put gas in the car
• Cheer at sporting events and dance/music recitals
• Encourage creativity and clean the floors and walls again afterwards
• Fill out forms
• Take kids to appointments – doctors, dentists, etc.
• Plan and execute birthday, graduation, team and misc. parties

AND…

Many moms do all this while also working part-time or full time outside the home or running a home business.

Unbelievable.

But I believe the most important and valuable thing we do for our children is share the love of Jesus. Showing them they are special to God and us, and teaching them the way God thinks – his directions for how to live a joyous, abundant life of loving and serving him and others – surpasses all.

We moms aren’t perfect.

Many of us came from messy backgrounds and might still be a mess, but no matter how much we don’t get right, if we instill a love for God and demonstrate an intimate relationship with Jesus, we leave our kids with the most important legacy.

I’m so grateful for my mother teaching me that Jesus loves me. It was her taking me to a Billy Graham crusade that offered me the chance to accept that love for my own. She took us to church, and showed us a life of worship, prayer and faith. Regardless of anything else she did, good or bad, that love of the Lord outshines all the rest.

And years later, the most satisfying thing to my soul is when I see my kids living out that love of God in their lives.

Moms, be encouraged today.

God sees all you do.

He knows your heart.

Leave a legacy for your kids of loving him.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Anything I’ve left off the list? Add yours to the comments below.

Check out this site for some mom encouragement: http://yourvibrantfamily.com/