You've seen the videos: forensic artist asked to draw 2 portraits of a woman, one based on her description of herself and another based on her friend's description of her. As you know, the portraits are very different, and the subject finds that her self-perception is unkind and unflattering. We women do not see ourselves accurately.
But, here's the implication: How we see ourselves ultimately determines how we interact with others.
And so it is as a mom...
Do I see myself as a maid instead of the privileged homemaker?
Do I think of myself as a babysitter or a steward of little souls?
Do I fix a meal because no one else will, or because it's a joy to impart a love of the family meal through my efforts in providing it?
Do I see myself as an ineffective mother, or a mother that was chosen specifically for my child, despite all that I'm learning and growing in?
Mothers who see themselves in the role of a lifetime as moms embrace their children and the mundane of the everyday accordingly.
And what will inform our view of what we see about ourselves as moms? You won't find an accurate portrait in social media, on television, or in magazines. It is simply not popular or culturally relevant to die to self and give your life in service.
But, friends, that is motherhood. Service-- unto Christ, and for our families.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.-Proverbs 31: 26-31
Just as how we perceive ourselves in the mirror takes conscious determination to replace lies with truth, the way we view ourselves as mothers requires the same. There is no shortcut to transforming the mind with the truth of the Gospel, and in turn, being transformed by grace.
And, sweet moms, we will discover that motherhood is nothing short of a portrait of grace.
Because of Grace,
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