Moms, do you ever wonder what your children will remember when they are grown and look back at their childhood? I do. My hope is they somehow only remember the good. I want them to remember my encouraging words, snuggles on the couch, reading books, going on adventures, being present and looking them in the eyes as they share endless conversations. I pray these things stick and the countless times that I blow it would be graciously left out of their memory banks.
Can I be so lucky?
I remember my mom calling her bad moments “Oprah moments.” Those “blown it” occasions she felt we would not forget and then someday be on Oprah telling the world about. I always thought that was a little dramatic as a kid, but now as a mom… I get it. I blow it. There is that fear, the possibility of my kids going on the updated version of Oprah and giving accounts of when I ruined their childhood. Sigh.
Somedays, I am at a complete loss as to how I can be so lucky to be in the mom game. God has granted me this gift of raising HIS little reflections of people… imperfect as I am.
Then I think about Mary. The perfect standard of being a mom. She was Jesus’ mom. She was given the gift of taking care of the Savior of the World! No pressure. I envision her as lovely, beautiful, sweet, with fantastic beach wavy hair and impeccable patience. (Although she really didn’t need patience because she was raising Jesus… can I get an Amen!) She loved her son. Several times in the Bible it’s recorded that when Jesus did something “Mary, treasured it up her heart.” Oh, we can relate right! She was the perfect mom, but guess what people… even Mary had a few “Oprah” moments herself.
In the book of Luke, there is a moment shared when Jesus was about twelve. Luke 2 says this, “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve, they went to the Festival. After the Festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts. Sitting among the teachers and listening to them and asking them questions.”
Questions like “WHERE IS MY MOM!
I would call this an Oprah moment! Better yet… it is in the Bible for generations to read! Poor Mary! But, doesn’t it make you feel a little better knowing that the mom of the Savior of the World maybe had an Oprah moment herself! Does Jesus laugh here at this memory of His momma totally leaving him in a crazy busy city?! We might go to jail for this ladies! And yet, God, knowing Mary would forget and lose her son, HIS SON, for not just a few minutes but 3 DAYS, chose her.
God has chosen us too. Good days, bad days. He has chosen us for our sweet people. Somedays will be amazing. Some days we will want to forget and hope our kids do too, BUT on all days, we were chosen to love and care for HIS sweet children.
We are not called to be perfect mommas but just called to do our best in the momma game. Loving, teaching, and just trying to get as few Oprah moments as we can.
