Motherhood can feel like a thankless task. There are certainly moments when the accolades are loud and clear: when your child draws a picture of you holding their hand, on Mother’s Day, when you hear a random, “I love you mommy” pop out of nowhere and enrapture your heart. The rewards are real. But they are not always present, in real-time.
Wildflowers often grow up with weeds. Where grass and weeds are able to grow, wildflowers are sure to flourish. Sometimes wildflowers get mistaken for weeds or get so caught up in the tangled web of these intruders that their beauty is not realized. Other times wildflowers flourish in fields that span for miles and miles, but remain unseen by the human eye, intended for God’s glory alone. Such is being a mom. Our daily acts of love and care are for God’s glory alone. We should not live life looking around for people to notice us. Instead, we should flourish wherever God has planted us and realize that our acts of tender love and care are acutely noticed by the Lord above.
Although it might seem that our daily acts of service are lost in a sea of wildflowers, each step we take to honor the Father in our role equates to an individual flower being planted. Soon enough we will reap a field of wildflowers as glorious as can be.
I have a theory that God notices us even more so as mothers because our serving often goes incognito. He looks down from Heaven with a special portion of grace in his heart and sprinkles it down upon our lives like a summer rainshower that quenches our thirst.
Perform for an audience of One. Live life with courage that you are making a difference no matter how quiet the applause may seem. Even if it is only a whisper in the wind, know that God in Heaven sees you and cares.
The best way to stay encouraged as a mom is through time spent with the Lord, and also by encouraging others. Encourage other moms who are desperate for a standing ovation. Tell them they are doing a good job. Tell them they are amazing and you look up to them. Tell them how wonderful they truly are. You will be blessed when you do. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us to encourage others. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The best way to persevere in faith is to spur on other mothers, your children, your husband, your church leaders, and anyone else the Lord lays on your heart. Live life as an avid encourager and allow Christ’s Living Waters to flow from your heart. John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Where rivers of water flow, healthy things grow. Place your faith, courage, and confidence in the Lord. His Living Water is alive in you. This is something to be grateful for.
Wildflower
You might think of yourself as a wildflower, a seed that happened to grow by chance, but know that you were actually intentionally planted in your home, in this season, with your children by God. He is the Master Gardener. He makes everything beautiful in his time, in his way (Ecclesiastes 3:11). He is doing something holy in your life. He is remaking you from the inside out, more into his image, more into his likeness, more into the beautiful wildflower he created you to be.
Sometimes motherhood can feel like a thankless task. The work you are doing might not seem rewarding, but the reward Jesus has for us is eternal. We can enjoy the brilliant buds of joy blossoming along the way through gratitude.
You might not think you are making a major difference in your home and in the hearts of your children, but you are. I promise you. Live by faith and know the difference you are making is eternal. Welcome gratitude into your life and receive the peace of God’s Spirit and the joy of his blessings.
The love you impart into your children’s hearts will grow up into something that is far more precious than gold. So take heart and know that what you are doing matters, mama! It matters to the hearts of your children and to your husband. But most of all, it matters to the Lord above who planted you and strategically placed you before time began. Abide in this truth when storm clouds hover over your heart and threaten to block out the sun. Choose gratitude and the storm clouds will dissipate.
You have been called to peace, so be thankful. You have been called to wisdom, so admonish and build each other up. You have been called to praise so let your life song sing a hymn of gratitude to the Lord God. Live life as a wildflower, an untamed element of natural beauty for God's delight.
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