Young people won’t quite be able to understand this
For older people this will just bring back memories and make you laugh
But those in their twenties will get it and say yes that’s me!
When you’re a teenager you think your parents are crazy
They are always wrong
They embarrass you
They never want you to have any fun
And then somewhere along the way
The years pass by and you have those moments
Where you slap yourself in the face
And the words that follow sound something like
Oh crap, my mom was right!
I know you know exactly what I’m talking about
Those moments where as a teenager
You think your mom just doesn’t want you to enjoy life
But then you get a little older and open your eyes
Only to see your mom was right all along
There is no way I could count the number of times
As a teenager I thought (and probably said out loud)
How stupid a decision my mom made concerning me was
That isn’t a show you need to watch
You really shouldn’t listen to that song
You aren’t allowed to watch that movie
That isn’t someone you need to spend your free time with
Mom, what’s the big deal?
I went through a phase in life where I said that at least once a week
My mother always had the same response
What goes in is what comes out
As a teenage girl that statement made me cringe
It sounded like the most absurd thing ever
Just because I listened to a song on the radio that had cuss words in it
Did not mean I was going to cuss
Just because there was a sex scene in a movie I watched
Did not mean I would go out and have sex with the next guy I saw
Something happened between that point in life
Where I thought my mother was just a strict Nazi who wanted me to have no fun
And the moment where the words from my mouth were
“Oh crap, my mom was right!”
I was in the middle of a simple conversation about cussing
When the words that came from my mouth shocked even myself
I said something along the lines of
When I hear cussing all the time from music or people I am around
My brain automatically retains those words and they come up in my mind often
But when my mind is focused on words from Jesus
I am more prone to fix my mind on those things in later situations
And then I paused with a crazy look on my face
The next words out of my mouth could not be said without a chuckle
Oh crap, my mom was right!
She wasn’t kidding when she said
What goes in is what comes out
I stood there pondering the truth of that statement
I heard so many times in my life
And I realized just how grateful I was for such a simple phrase
One that so many times made me cringe or yell out in frustration
But at this point in my life I can confidently say has so much truth to it
What are you putting in?
Is it what you want coming out?
I understand that not everyone has these
“Oh crap my mom was right” moments in life
Not because you aren’t wise enough to realize your mom has more wisdom than you
But because your mom wasn’t one of those moms who
Looked out for you above herself and loved you enough to tell you no
Maybe your mom wasn’t the best mom she could have been
Maybe she left you deserted
Maybe she wasn’t there for the big games in your life
Maybe she wasn’t there when you came home with a broken heart
But there is someone else who is there
What if instead of saying you had those
“Oh crap my mom was right” moments in life
You can say I’ve had those
“Oh crap Jesus was right” moments in life
Because isn’t it more important to compare our decisions
With Jesus than anything or anyone else?
I mean after all he is the one who is there to
Show us the right decisions to make
And correct us when we don’t follow him
If you’re not to this point in life yet
Of realizing how right your mom actually is
I hope you can just open your eyes for a quick moment
And see that there is a possibility your mom may just be right about some things
And then go tell her thank you for being a mother
Who cares about you and tries to protect you
If you’re older and your mother is no longer living this life with you
Take a moment to realize how lucky you were to have a mom
Who always knew better than you
And then take a moment to realize how blessed you are to have your own children
To raise and make decisions for until they are old enough to make them for themselves
And then go give your child a hug and make sure they know you discipline from love
Now to you who are in the middle phase of life
The point of realizing maybe some things your mom told you
Were actually true and she did know better than you
Go thank your mother
Make sure she knows you value the tough love you received
Tell her how much you appreciate her making decisions based on her own past experiences
Thank her for always having your best interest in mind when disciplining
Make sure she knows how loved and adored she is as your mom
Once you’ve taken a moment to reminisce on moments with your mother
And thank her for raising you to be a wonderful person
Take a moment to do the same things with Jesus
Make sure he knows you appreciate his tough love
Tell him how grateful you are for him loving you enough to tell you no
When all you want to hear is yes
Thank him for the sacrifice he made to live his life on earth
So he can say I know what you are going through and I know best
Because I have encountered the same things you are encountering
Thank him
