motherhood is the responsibility to love a child. motherhood is joining the ranks of women who are trying to do what you're trying to do. i say trying because each generation of moms takes what their mothers gave them and pairs it with their values and beliefs to shape their children. no generation has or ever will get this perfect, but every generation is giving their absolute best and it's working. it has worked and it keeps working.  

as a mother in 2018, how do i hold this vocation as both a privilege and responsibility? 

privilege of motherhood

the privilege is the essence of loving another life more than you own. to believe that the life you are pouring into is worthy and precious and from God. to receive that smile after a few months of new life. to hear the word mama from his lips forming words. to walk into the room and with shaking hands, both yours and hers, grab hold of them for the first time. to speak truth for 81 repetitive days and then start to see the bud take root and the light turn on. to curl up beside dragon breath, no matter the hour, and give thanks. to read that one book for the one hundredth time and that not being the last time either. the privilege is that we got to get up today and do it all again.

responsibility of motherhood

the responsibility of motherhood is a daunting task on most days, with a few sighs of relief on the rare occasional days that everything goes smoothly. then you remember that mimi was in town or that you put the slow cooker on that morning. regardless, we are leaders, managers, nurses, dictionaries, creators, tutors, cheerleaders, comforters, peacemakers, to start the list.

motherhood is our platform. our children are the audience. an audience that listens more than we give them credit. individuals who will take what they learn from us and share it on the world's stages -- the playground, the dugout, the bathroom, the tent, the cafeteria, the restaurant of the first date, the podium at his school, the home of a friend, the worldwide web. they are learning a language and a culture from us. a value system that they will align to or resist. and while it is our responsibility to love, i will not stop here, but start here, return here. 

i believe we need a vision. a vision for our families. ben and i worked on ours together with the foundation rooted in the Bible, God's Word. what is your vision statement for your family? here is ours, for 6 years and counting. 

Because of the hope we have in Jesus, our family will live lives on purpose, give generously to others, love one another graciously, share our joy-filled home, and embark daily on the faith adventure. 

our decisions, our yeses, and our calendar flow from the vision statement.  this is what we want to be about as we raise our kids. it's what we give our time and energy to. but we don't do this alone. 

motherhood is all of us. 

a miracle happens every day as our children awake, grow, learn, fail, persevere, and rest to start again. the responsibility of motherhood requires love and helps them stand on a firm foundation. for me, Jesus is the firm foundation that i have built my life upon that my mother taught me and i will teach it to my children and my children's children. from His life flows what we value and to value every human life. the responsibility of motherhood is to pay attention to their gifts and personalities, to help them step into their purpose with confidence and risk, with faith in God, and to bless others. 

this is why we invite others in to instruct and train. we are not raising clones, but creatures of a Creative God. their gifts will look different from ours. we need to grow a tribe around us who will speak into our children, who are passionate about what they are passionate about. while it looks like we are sending them out to be taught in the classroom and on the field, imagine inviting them all in to your home. they partner with you. not one of our teachers or coaches is alone. they know we're in this together. and this makes life look like a really big family! i want the right voices shaping the generation growing up in our home. so if you are pouring into mine, thank you. and if i'm privileged to pour into yours, thank you. motherhood is all of us.