6 Daily Inspirations on Motherhood

I was asked to write a short, spiritual, column about motherhood to be published in the Syracuse paper during the week of Mother's Day.  (Writing a thought in only 100 words is very difficult, especially for one as verbose as I am.)  Saturday is my favorite, so if you don't read all of them, just skip to Saturday.

 

If you click on the day of the week you can read it in the actual online paper.

Monday-- They Did All Eat and Were Filled.

Feeding the hungry is one of the holy acts of mothering. As we nourish others, we bond them to us. Perhaps this is why our bodies are designed to need food regularly. Sister Julie Beck said, "To nurture and feed our children physically is as much an honor as to nurture and feed them spiritually." In one New Testament miracle, five loaves and two fishes were shared by thousands: "And they did all eat, and were filled." (Matthew 14:20) We feel this miracle in our lives as we expand our tables to feed our families and our neighbors.

Tuesday--  I Wash Thee

Cleansing is a monotonous, unavoidable, and holy act of mothering. Mothers wipe faces, dry tears, blow noses, mop floors, wash laundry, and bandage scraped knees. Like the Good Samaritan, our first response when we see someone in need is to clean and bind their wounds. Jesus also washed his disciple's feet. He said to Peter, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. And Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. (John 13:8) Washing is a daily sacrament for as we wash physically we unite spiritually.

Wednesday-- Drop By Drop

The great acts of mothering are small, daily, repetitive tasks. Wise mothers know that character cannot be taught in a single sitting. Self-discipline is carved gently through days, weeks, and years of practicing at home. "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33) Mothering is not an event; it is a process of creation. As we serve daily, our children become our Grand Canyons. Lucretius taught, "The water hollows out the stone, not by force but drop by drop."

Thursday--  Tools of Creation

Our miraculous, mother bodies are tools of creation. Pregnant mothers partner with God and man to form lungs, ears, sweet baby toes, and a beating heart. No modern-day technology can compare with the magnificent and inherent ability of a woman's womb to grow human life. If your mother has done nothing more for you in life than create your body, she has still done a great work. "Greater love hath no [woman] than this, to lay down [her] life for her [child]." (John 15:13) Women create life, but they also create lives for those they love.

Friday--Continue In My Love

Mothers quickly learn to love messy, naughty, difficult, completely adorable children. We learn to love past the snotty noses and sticky fingers. We learn to SEE who our children really are and who they can become. We don't love our children less as we watch them learning the lessons of life. I hope that as we have learned to love our children, we have also learned that we are loved and cherished in our own imperfections. So, like Jesus we can say, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)

Saturday-- Motherhood is Worship

Motherhood is true worship. A home does not need a spire or steeple to be a holy place. When we serve with love, we transform the mundane to the sublime. A scripture from the Book of Mormon reminds us that "When you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) Glorifying God in our homes will help us nourish as we feed, cleanse as we clean, heal as we comfort, and find eternal joy in the ordinary. May our children be our cathedrals and their eyes our stained glass windows.