When I was a little boy, sometimes, I did stupid things. Little boys do. From time to time, I was disobedient, disrespectful and destructive. Little boys are. Yet, as I get older, more and more specific memories — of the good things I did and the bad ones, too — fade into the background of my mind. Instead, what’s fought to the forefront and found it’s way to the center stage, isn’t how my mom cheered for me (though there wasn’t a better cheerleader in the world). It’s what she said when she disciplined me. When she was angry with me, her face would flush, and get red. Her eyes would squint a little. Her brow would furrow. Her nostrils would flare. Her hands would shake as she cupped them, just under my jaw bone, and lifted my chin up so my ashamed eyes could meet her furious ones.
I will always be here for you
So, today, while the Internet tells moms they need to build a perfect Insta-family and work on their waistline, let’s remind them that the body of work they’re building within the four walls of their home matters so much more. Someone said recently that our perception of our Heavenly Father is formed by the actions of our earthly one, and that’s true, but I learned about His fierce, loyal, unwavering and unconditional love for me… from her.