If there is one picture of the Madonna that resonates with me, it is this one, the Polish Madonna.  I saw this picture for the first time when my children were very small and I was captivated by it.  I guess I had always thought of the Blessed Mother as the Queen of Heaven  – so holy and revered, and she is and should be, but this picture brought her to me in a way that was so comforting and understanding of all the mundane little things of motherhood that I struggled with.

As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I realize that it was “being in the moment” that my children needed from me; the same moment that I needed from my mom.  That “moment” doesn’t end as we grow older.  To look into the eyes of a hurting child when they are in physical pain, are teased and bullied, disappointed or lose someone they love, has no age limit – their eyes become your eyes and their broken heart becomes your broken heart.  The same is true when those eyes are full of joy and laughter – the giggle of a baby, the snicker at a private joke or the belly rolling, teary eyed, can’t breathe kind of laughter that fills your heart with a joy that is simply unexplainable to others.  These are the simple moments of life, love, and family.

As I sat in the springtime sun today, with the warmth and greenery surrounding me, I thought about how long, dark, and cold this winter was ; I thought spring would never get here!  But it has.   God promises light after the darkness.  The seasons on this earth, like the seasons of our soul can rejoice in the promise that joy comes in the morning.  God doesn’t leave us or abandon us in our darkness but waits with us.  Today, I’m grateful for the new life around me – birds chirping in the trees, seedlings popping through the dirt, tiny leaves sprouting from the branches and sunshine on my face.  Life, love, and family – the simple foundation for a lifetime of grace.

I opened an old book yesterday and this reflection was tucked inside.  How timely that it was found right before Mother’s Day.

CONTINUE ON

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life.  She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.  She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference.  At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. “Is it worth it?” she often wondered. ” Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?”

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still, small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart. “You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be.  Much of what you give is done without remuneration.  But I am your reward.  Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful that you will ever know. I bless him through your service and honor him through your love. Your children are precious to Me. Even more precious than they are to you. I have entrusted them to your care to raise for me. What you invest in them is an offering to Me.

You may never be in the public spotlight. But your obedience shines as a bright light before Me.  Continue on. Remember you are my servant. Do all to please Me. – Roy Lessin

May  your Mother’s Day be blessed!