Mother's Day

"He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah!"

Psalms 113:9 (The Message)

I have a wonderful mother. She is so smart, funny, and super talented. We have always been close, but in the past few months, we've become even closer. I love my mama. I also have two mother in laws that I love. My husband's mother, Donna, is always looking for ways to pray for us, encourage us, and just be a help to us. His step-mother, Ann, is also great. She is like Mother Superior. She never tires out and she can run circles around me. Maybe one day I'll catch up with her! So, on Mother's Day, I've always had great women to celebrate! I love them deeply.

Unfortunately, Mother's Day has always been a rough day for me. From the moment Robert & I got married, I dreamed of the day that I would be a mother. My prayer was for a red headed baby that had Robert's smile, my hair, and sweet chubby cheeks I could kiss. Each year, as the months rolled on and the pregnancy tests declared me not pregnant, I began to realize that dream of motherhood may not happen. Then, before I knew it, Mother's Day had arrived.

The scene of attending church and watching as the preacher asked each mother to stand and receive their gift of a flower or a devotional book "JUST FOR MOMS" absolutely devastated me. Year after year, I would spend the morning crying like a crazy person right in the middle of church. One year, after I had miscarried, a lady in our church said "Well, I'll just give you my flower." I almost slapped her. I know she was trying to be polite, but it wasn't about the flower. It

was about the empty womb that I carried. She couldn't fix that with a flower.

Finally, I just quit attending church on Mother's Day. I realized it was really not necessary to attend church on that day, I was sure Jesus understood.

Every Mother's Day night I would tell Robert, "Well, maybe next year I'll get to celebrate." Hallelujah, God has full filled his promise and tomorrow is my "next year" that I've prayed for all these years!

Words can't describe the joy it brings me to be Maisie's mama. She is more than I could have imagined in a child. She is incredibly smart, always on the go, very imaginative, kind and considerate, sassy, and unbelievable beautiful both inside and out. Many days I think "I can't do this. I can't be her mother. I'm not prepared for all this. I'm not smart enough to out smart her! I'm not patient enough to with stand her. What have I gotten myself into?!" Then there are days I look at her and think "Where would I be without her?" "I am so blessed she is in my life." "I can't imagine her not being ours!"

She is the most precious gift I've ever received. I can not ask for anything this Mother's Day, because God has full filled his promise and I am filled with joy.