Motherhood

I ask for their forgiveness almost every single day and everyday I have to forgive them.

"I fail everyday at being a mother. I have never cared about something more than these little beings, and I want to do a perfect job of bringing them up and caring for them. Everyday I lose my patience, everyday there is a reaction that I regret. My want for them is to be kind to each other, eat their frigging vegetables, be respectable, and eager to help others but when they don't fulfill these desires I lose my temper and feel like a failure. I want to always be kind, understanding, strong, consistent and fun-loving, but I always fall short.

The harsh reality is that perfection doesn't exist, but sin does in both you and your children. These beautiful children of mine are individuals, I have really come to realize that I cannot ever make them do or be anything if they don't want to. What I can do is teach them about God's grace and encourage them to be forgiving and gracious to others and themselves. I ask for their forgiveness almost every single day and everyday I have to forgive them.

What's so beautiful about a relationship so strong as a mother and child's is that even though we fail at perfection, the love we have for one another outshines any bad mood or temper tantrum. It is the world's hardest job because it is the most important job."

Kristen [Birmingham, AL]