Happy Mother’s Day with Love For Every Imperfect Mom

I recently watched a TV show where a woman was looking for a sperm donor. She took a long time to consider. In addition to the DNA of the men from whom she had to choose, she thought about character.

How involved did the men want to be in raising the baby? On what parameters, if any, did they insist in regard to religion, schooling, and household rules as the child grew? Whose genes and influence did she want in her child’s life?

I don’t know how sperm donation works, or if this was a typical situation, but it was a beautiful illustration. I believe God considers carefully when choosing the people who will co-parent His kids with Him. Our children really have 3 parents, do they not?

I went out for a run to think this over and pray for so many women I know who feel like anything but a good mom this Mother’s Day. What follows is a collection of my breathless thoughts.

I think we feel inadequate because we compare ourselves to the best in the moms around us. We fail to remember our inherent worth. It is inherent because Jesus built it right in.

I saw this post on Facebook:

Watercolor and poem by Rachel Toll

“Three good friends went for a swim.
The one who was fat wished she was thin.
The one who was curvy wished she was clever.
The one who was clever wished she swam better.
The really great swimmer wished she was witty.
The one who was witty wished she was pretty.
All three friends thought the other two were just fine.
If only they could let their own bright light shine.”

Ladies – I think moms in particular – know we are flawed. And we usually feel we are more so than the next gal. We think our kids would be better off in the care of someone more _______. (Fill in the blank)

Have you ever stopped to consider that God knows everything about you? And yet, He still chose you, and an imperfect father, to parent the children He gave you. He wants you to do your best. But He is prepared to make up for whatever skills and wisdom you lack.

Children who blame their earthly parents for their faults might have a point. We aren’t perfect. But their Heavenly Father is. He offers them flawless parenting.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

And you know what? God is a perfect parent to us too. We have the ideal example from which to model our parenting efforts.

He takes away every excuse. We cannot blame other humans for the faults we carry. Sure, they may have contributed to our inadequacies, but we are individually responsible if we choose to stagnate in them.

One day, we will stand before God alone. No one else will be there for us to point fingers. The only one in front of us will be our perfect Father, who gave us everything we needed for the pursuit of righteousness and Godliness.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

2 Peter 1:3

Just as the woman on TV thought long and hard about who to pick as her co-parent, God has been purposeful with us. He knew His intention for each child He would create. He took our strengths and flaws into account, and decided we were the ideal moms to raise the babies He gave us.

This Mother’s Day don’t beat yourself up because you don’t measure up.

Work on your shortcomings with your Heavenly Father. Remember that your children have a perfect parent. It isn’t supposed to be you. God will make up for whatever inadequacies you have when the need arises. It is entirely possible that the character being produced in your children, as they live with your imperfection, is the exact reason God put your household together the way He did.

The scale was never set to register perfection from you. Exhale. God knows what He is doing. Do your best and commit the rest.

With love for every imperfect mom out there…
and that would be ALL of us,

Happy Mother’s Day!