I don’t think I’ve ever given my mom enough credit for the hard work she had to put in to raise me and my siblings. The days she was so tired but chose to play with me anyway. Waking up in the middle of the night to comfort me when I screamed. This is something I am realizing day after day this month.
My ministry for the next week? Full-Time mother. The ministry we are with here in South Africa is starting Half-Way house to care for children who are given away by their mothers and are waiting to be adopted. They have come out of rough situations and are still babies waiting to be potty trained.
I’ve always thought that I was cut out to handle kids. I am not so sure of this anymore. These kids need excessive energy. They need someone to stay with them throughout the night to give them a bottle when they cry. They need someone to feed them and hold them and bathe them. They are fully dependent on someone else. They need a mother.
This may be the hardest week of my life yet. Maybe I sound like I am being a bit over-dramatic, but I am being completely honest. I’m not ready to be a mother and I am scared to death of making a mistake with these children. What I do know is that God gives you supernatural strength to do what he has called you to do. And for this week, I am called to be a mother.
To mothers everywhere, I am grateful for your commitment to raising children. I am complaining about a week and many of you have done it for 18+ years. Thank you for the selflessness that you exercise day after day. Thank you for not giving up.
To my mom. You’ve done the best job of anyone I know for over 24 years now. I am amazed at your ability to still love me with no limits after all the turmoil I’ve probably put you though. Thank you for showing me Christ in every moment and teaching me how to live. I’ll be doing my best to be a mother like you’ve shown me this next week.
