Motherhood: My purpose. My privilege.

Last week, I was really getting frustrated with the attitudes and behaviors of a few of my kiddos. One night, I didn't respond in a very loving way so I went to my closet to repent and ask for help. I hate to admit, but I was seeing them as more of a problem and a nuisance and felt like a failure of a mother but as I prayed, this gentle rebuke came clearly from Heavenly Father about being their mother: "This is your purpose. This is your privilege." I am thankful that I have a partner in Motherhood and it is God. I am thankful for all of the mothers in my life who made motherhood their purpose and privilege.  No matter where you are on your motherhood journey - whether you've not yet had the opportunity in this life to have children, are struggling to conceive or if you have your hands full with a gaggle of them, if you've just given birth or have had to bury a child, if you are just starting out on this journey or if you're empty nesting, your children are grown and gone or you're starting to see grand children or great grand children born, God has a purpose for you and your life!  We are His purpose and His privilege and He has asked us to make all the little ones around us our purpose and privilege.  I am grateful for my sweet children, they are such a blessing to me!  They are my purpose.  They are my privilege.  I've been thinking about this a lot going into Mother's Day.  

It was a very happy Mother's Day!  All the week before, the kids were making plans, making cards, making gifts.  They are so sweet!  Lucy and Cov and Daddy made me blueberry pancakes.  I went out to the kitchen at one point to grab some milk for Sydnie and Lucy told me to "Get back to bed!"  Haha!  It was a nice morning and the most perfect weather.  Church was great.  Emma was the first speaker and she did a great job!  She spoke on the divine nature of women, and it fit right along with a Young Women Personal Progress requirement we've been working on.  She taught that all mothers need to have some important traits to be a mother - first love, patience, knowledge, spirituality, and kindness.  Here's part of her talk - 

"All females have the divine nature of a mom, as all women are mothers. We can all strive to live a mothers divine nature even if we are not mothers, and do not have children. We can be good examples to all kids, and be kind and supportive to them like a mother does, and in general, be a better person for them. We can have love, patience, kindness, spirituality, knowledge and be a good example.  I am so grateful to have a loving mother that cares and provides for me. "

Then we had two other youth speakers, they all did it so well!  The Primary then sang.  We did "Mother, Tell Me the Story" and the kids sang the first verse, I sang the second verse (no one else wanted to so I got stuck with doing a solo), and then we split for the third verse.  They did so great!  I love being in Primary with them!  And then Brother McCally and President Solomon spoke.  It was a great meeting.  We were given little books and chocolate bars after Sacrament meeting.  Next, we had Primary.  We had the mothers fill out a questionnaire about themselves and see if the kids could guess whose each mom was and then we sang their favorite Primary song.  When we sang "Love is Spoken Here", I just busted down crying and couldn't sing well but kept singing through my tears, along with all the other adult leaders.  I felt the spirit so strong that the message of this song is true.  I felt so grateful for my amazing mother and all she did and continues to do for me.  I told them their mothers love them more than they could ever know. That's why they brought them to Church that day. That's why they have to do things they don't want to sometimes or be told no sometimes. It's all because their mothers love them and want the best for them.  Then, a little boy reflecting on the second verse talked about how he doesn't have a dad and his dad has made lots of bad choices.  I told him that my mom was the same way but always felt strength in knowing that she had a perfect Father, a Heavenly Father, to turned to and she knew He was there for her.  He felt better after that.  It was a great Singing Time!  Then I went to nursery and sang "Mother I Love You" and did some fun hands on things about mothers with these cute little ones.  When we were leaving to go home, President Solomon stopped us and talked to our family in private.  He told us that he wanted to let us know that the Lord was pleased with our efforts at home.  He told me that he spoke of our family at Branch Conference a couple weeks before that.  He was grateful that we study the Gospel, particularly the Come, Follow Me scripture study program and try to live it at home and that it shows.  He said it must not be easy or fun trying to do it always, but said to keep on doing what were doing.  He promised us our family is being blessed and would be greatly blessed for continuing to do so.  He told us he was grateful for us being in the branch.  So often I do feel like what we're doing is not sinking in, but he assured us it is.  It was a tender mercy as many days lately are hard.  And there are lots of days I do feel like a failure.  This was the shot in the arm that will keep us going, keep us trying, keep us building.  

We made the nice drive home and then we had a quick and easy leftover lunch.  That afternoon, we took rests (Sydnie never did fall asleep), played games, talked and just relaxed.  The kids were so excited to give me what they did!  Cov made a hand plant painting and an open ended card, Lucy made a cute bird and cards, Cal made up a poem and wrote a letter and some portraits of us, and Emma got a necklace with a crystal that said "I Love You" inside it in many different languages, Dave's present is some new planters and flowers for our yard that we're putting in soon.  Then we had dinner which was ham, baked potatoes, steamed carrots, salad, and a golden Oreo cake for dessert.  Everyone pitched in and helped, Dave's always sweet to make sure I have the best day possible. We had our "Come, Follow Me" lessons about marriage, children, and obedience.  Then we video chatted with the Grandmas, and that was great!  We played Sleeping Queens last.   It was a perfect Mother's Day surrounded by those I love the most.  

Reading over and over favorite books. Dusting book ends. Wiping rear ends. Looking in that rear view mirror to check on everyone.  Checking over piles of homework and papers.  Folding up endless piles of laundry.  Paying endless bills. Trying to make sure everyone has a clean bill of health. Cooking food that is healthy. Sweeping the food off the floor.  Laying on the floor giving airplane rides.  Riding in the car together trying to carry on meaningful conversations. Carrying kids from point A to point B.  Pointing children in the right direction. Trying to teach them to choose the right and model Gospel living.  Choosing to do the best I can, and not worrying about what others think.  This is what Motherhood is to me and I am grateful for the purpose behind being a mother and that it is my privilege to be able to be one.  I am so thankful!

There was a great Mother's Day video that was put out that made me laugh and cry all at once.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdV9SHPftvU  They nailed it!   #Youareenough