A MINUTE DOES NOT MAKE A MOM

If you’ve been a mom long enough you've had your share of moments. At least, back in my day, I only had to worry about how many people were around to see it, but thank goodness, I didn’t have to fear that my moment could go viral on You-tube!

So, let me share a few of my moments.

When my son was about 7 years old, I remember we were having some great family time with the grandparents.  We were playing Kid’s Trivial Pursuit and I thought it was pretty cool that we were all playing a trivia game together! Then, my son got an interesting question on his card. “What’s the most common word in the English language?” He looked up into the sky for a second while he was thinking and then said, “uh, shut-up”, and my husband and I tried not to ever say that word!

Then, there was the time that I picked up my kids from my pastor's wife’s house. It was her first time to watch them and I was a little nervous, because let’s just say her kids were a lot more quiet-natured than mine J When I got to the door and asked how things went she calmly mentioned something about my daughter hanging from the ceiling and then I realized she wasn’t using an expression…it had actually happened!!! She had laid my 5-year-old daughter down for nap on their very, very high bed and my daughter had literally grabbed onto one of the fan blades and taken a ride!!!

As mom’s we all have good and bad moments and let’s be honest, motherhood is a 24/7 job so there are LOTS of opportunities to mess up!

When we’ve got a string of good moments going, we might be feeling pretty good, but on the flip side, throw in a couple forgotten school lunches and the fact that our kid is the only one on the risers wearing a red shirt in a sea of white and it’s amazing how we can mom-shame ourselves right to the bottom of the Hagen-daaz container!

And if you are like me, it doesn’t matter how long the string of good moments is, all it takes is ONE bad moment and the last person you want to witness it, and that’s ALL you can think about! We would never let our kids define themselves by a mistake as parents. We see them for all they are. We see their potential and how much more does our heavenly Father see US this way!

So maybe delving to the bottom of the ice cream container isn’t your thing. Perhaps it’s Facebook?

Perhaps the thinking goes like this: "If I can’t be perfection, perhaps I can project the image of perfection?"

Do you believe the lie that you're just one post away from who you wish you were?

I recently heard someone say, “God won’t bless who you pretend to be.” God is Truth and when we humbly come to him and acknowledge the truth about ourselves (stuff and all) that’s when we find His power and His strength to do what needs to be done.

What if instead of striving for our own perfection, we began seeing our limitations and mistakes as invitations to rest in His perfection?

2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that in our weaknesses God's strength is made perfect. Paul writes, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” GRACE. What a wonderful word. So many times, when I came to the end of me, my abilities, my patience, my knowledge, you fill in the blank _________. I found God’s grace.

God’s grace is better than perfection.

Our culture has made an idol of perfection and social media has made it possible for people to believe the lie that reality is what they post, not who they are when the camera is off, but somewhere deep inside, we know better. The world doesn't need more perfection…we need more grace.

Perfection consumes people till they have no room for anyone else and leaves them empty when the next best thing comes along. Grace fills people and those who are filled by it can extend it to others.

Are you needing some grace friend? Look to God, the Author of Grace and cry out to Him!  He hears our mommy-prayers.

Praise God we are not defined by our moments. We are defined by our Maker.