A Mother's Heart

 "Every girl and woman who makes and keeps sacred covenants can have a mother heart. There is no limit to what a woman with a mother heart can accomplish. Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so, and their influence will spread and grow exponentially throughout the eternities."

Sister Julie B Beck shared those powerful words.  Motherhood is joyous, heart wrenching, fulfilling, frustrating, demanding, and thankfully has room for our imperfections.  I can't express how grateful I am for my children. 

I love the idea of a mother heart.  But I want to add a piece of a mother heart that is critically important.  What every woman, no matter what her current stage of motherhood is, needs in her heart is to find those moments when she hears and feels the gentle whisperings of  Heavenly Parents saying, "You are okay."

This picture captured one of those moments for me.  Not while it was being taken, but months later.  

I was feeling like a failure.  I had lost my temper and yelled at my kids.  I don't remember the specifics but it may have been when they emptied a whole bathtub of water one cup at a time into the heat register on the bathroom floor.  Or when they played air hockey with all of their dad's CDs on the tile floor.  Or when Kyrie signed her name on every checked square of the couch.  It doesn't even matter which thing it was. 

The house was pure chaos.  George was working late for the 97th day in a row.  I was tired.  I felt frumpy.  The bills just kept piling up.  In short it was real life.  But at that moment I was exhausted and couldn't see any good I was doing.  

And then as I was looking for something, I found this picture again.  I saw that tiny baby's hand reaching up to stroke my cheek and saying, "You've got this.  In spite of everything going on, you're okay."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt a huge Heavenly hug.  Reassurance was sent in a photograph- my language- to let me know I was okay.

I believe that within every woman's heart lies the ability to feel divine assurance when it is most needed.  It may come through music, artwork, nature, a message a friend shares, scripture, or the gentle stirring of the Spirit.  It will be uniquely yours. 

It's not about the matching outfits, the Instagram worthy pictures, the acclimations at work, the perfect meal or being everything to everyone.  It's pausing and remembering we all have a role to play in His plan.  In His noisy, unexpected, crazy, beautiful plan.  That reveres Motherhood as a holy partnership with God as Mary showed us. 

It's about knowing that we are doing better than we think.  And not letting the things we AREN'T doing take away the joy of the things we ARE.  

It's about letting Him be the judge.  Not the world.  And letting our hearts hear the message, "You've got this momma. You are okay."