Motherhood: Grace and Mercy

One day I received a text from a sweet girl who wanted to know how I did it.

How did I keep on top of things with two active little boys, an infant, balancing marriage and mothering with housekeeping and ALL the other things?

I think it was referring to a picture that she had seen on Instagram that also shared my to do list for the day. She was seeing a small moment of my life and in that moment I had her convinced that I could do it all.

But I don’t.

Last week while leaving the grocery store I heard: “Wow! She has got it all together, and she has THREE little kids!” Except that lady, whose comment I treasure, was seeing one of the times that the boys were being quiet and obedient, not how they were three aisles before we went to checkout; she wasn’t seeing how we were rushing around to get out the door, or how the house looked when we left. She thought I could do it all.

But I can’t.

Over the past couple of weeks Ben and I have talked about it, and thought about it, and talked about it, and decided that I need to quit the awesome Bible Study that I am in. Because sometimes when the days flow well, a couple of days in a row, I think that I can do ALL. THE. GOOD. THINGS.

But I can’t, so I’m learning not to.

One thing I have been learning in this season of motherhood is that two important aspects of mothering, marriage, and life, are grace and mercy.

Before I go any further let’s look at the definitions of each word:

{From Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry}

 

Biblically, grace is unmerited favor. It is God‘s free action for the benefit of His people. It is different from justice and mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve.

 

Grace is also a period officially allowed for payment of a sum due or for compliance with a law or condition, especially an extended period granted as a special favor. {From the Merriam Webster Dictionary}

Motherhood is God’s mercy shown to me when I mess up with my children; when I allow my anger to direct their discipline, when I allow my tongue to speak freely and say things that aren’t uplifting.

Motherhood is God’s grace shown to me when my boys come cuddle and tell me they love me.

Motherhood is showing myself grace and eating some chocolate, or drinking some coffee,  when I do NOT get everything done.

Motherhood is showing mercy to my boys when they disobey.

Motherhood is grace when we cut the schedule down from ALL. THE. GOOD. THINGS. to the important, needed things. When we realize that our schedule needs to change in order to do the tasks, and answer the call, that God has given us.

Motherhood is a continuous cycle of grace, unmerited favor shown to others, and to myself, and mercy.

Give yourself grace, momma, when you don’t get everything done. Watch a movie with your littles, make a special snack and enjoy their conversation.

Grant your littles mercy, sometimes, when they disobey, ’cause we all know God the Father shows us mercy when we don’t promptly obey.

Grant yourself grace when you get frustrated with the toddler or preschooler and yell at them.

Grant yourself mercy at the end of the day, give yourself grace, and ask the Lord for help every morning.  Because it is only through HIS grace and mercy that we all make it through the day.

When I try to do everything, life becomes stressful and hectic. The important things start to slip. I’ve been learning that I need to slow down, to work on the most important things; and I need to give myself grace. Those single moments of me, or my family, on Facebook or Instagram may seem to show someone who has it all together, but know that I am just like you: a  momma who is learning that motherhood is about God’s grace lavished on her and overflowing to others, and expressing mercy as her heavenly Father did for her.