Happy Mother’s Day

A mother is the center of the home. There’s that saying, “If mom’s not happy, no one’s happy.” I was not fortunate to grow up with a loving mother. There were never any hugs and kisses in my home. No, I love you or sweet words. We were all abused by my father, and my mother probably got the worst of it. It took me many years to understand why my mom never protected us. Why she didn’t pack up and leave my dad? Life was so different in 1970. A woman didn’t have the say that they have now. They never had a voice. In South Africa, where we lived, a woman could not open a bank account or do any financial transactions without her husband’s signature. So my mom was stuck. She had no money and no support. The way she handled this was to switch it off. This was her lot in life. She would do the best she could, knowing that in time we would leave home and get on with our own lives.

While this may be true, it’s the baggage and the hurts from your past that form your life. You can spend the rest of your life trying to find yourself and getting over the hurts from the past. So Mother’s Day doesn’t light me up as it does for others. I never experience a good mother. But I have tried to be a good one for my children.

You don’t have to let your past define you. Because I had a poor start doesn’t mean I’m going to be bad or have a terrible life. In Jesus, we can start afresh and overcome our past. The key ingredient is to forgive. We have to let it all go.

Your life is up to you. What you do with your life is solely based on the decisions you make. If you are making them out of bad, hurtful experiences, then you will continue to make wrong choices. But if you make them from a forgiving heart, you will turn your life around and make better choices
So decide to become the best mother you can be. Love your children, they never asked to be here. Even if they weren’t planned. As hard as it is to have something unplanned, life goes on and so must you.

Being a mother is an honor and privilege. With God’s help, you get to form and nurture another human being. You can mold the child to flourish and achieve great things. You have the power to speak life into your children’s lives, making them bold and confident to face this world strong and hopeful. Our homes should be a haven against the darkness of this world. We should have Christ as the center of our home and lives. Don’t let the world get into your home. Protect it from this
fiercely. Teach each household member to honor and respect each other. Not allowing bad and hurtful words to be said to each other. Children can be so hurtful and say nasty things. They need to have a safe place at home where they feel loved and protected.

A mother is the nurturer of the home, but often because she has a multitude of tasks to do, she feels burdened with her to-do list. If that’s you, please consider what is most important to you. Time with our children goes so fast and we lose moments never to return.

Now that my kids are older, I would love to have the time back when I could nurture them again. Take the time to laugh together. Read to them, bake with them, and do little things together. Build happy memories that will bless them.

Today, you don’t have to do this alone. There is so much support and help available to you. Don’t be ashamed to ask for it if you are feeling overwhelmed. Believe me, we have all been there. Taking time out for yourself is a must and don’t feel bad that you want some me time. You need this to recharge and get focused. Protect this time, as it is very important to recharge your battery.

Enjoy being a mom. Smile because you may have the hardest job on the planet, but it is also the most rewarding job too. Believe in yourself and what you do matters. You are making a difference, and what you do is very important.

Keep your chin up and be proud to be called a mom.