We see a Mess, But God Sees….

The joys of motherhood! Seeing our baby take its first steps, hearing her say her first words, watching him score the winning goal at the big game, feeling their little arms around your neck before they go to bed.

These are all great moments of motherhood.  They’re the easy ones, the ones that make you smile when you go to sleep.

But, then there are the other ones…..the ones where you just want a big hole to open up and swallow you. The ones where you are mentally, and physically exhausted and you have to laugh to keep from crying. Have you had any of those? Moments where you feel like you are nothing but a mess?

Here are a few of mine:

• My 2-year-old was supposed to be potty trained, yet when company came over someone stepped in a puddle on the floor….
• I had to yell at my daughter for acting exactly like me!
• My toddler was one of “those” children and tried to escape library story time. He hit the handicap button and bolted out the door running and giggling the whole way!
• My daughter decided it would be funny to paint the cat during art time. We had a blue cat for weeks!
• The librarian asked me to please not bring cereal to story time anymore, my son didn’t eat it, he just threw it on the floor and stepped on it.
• My child spoke to her father, the way I sometimes spoke to her father….
• When my child tried to jump into the baptistery at church….fully clothed, in the middle of alter call!

Moments and days like this leave me going to bed, feeling defeated.

Feeling like I had failed at this mothering thing. Again. How many times did I raise my voice today? Oh, and why did I spend so much time on my phone? Did I ever go back and play that game of candy land? I don’t think I did. I am SUCH a FAILURE.

These are the thoughts that go through my head almost every night. I replay those messy moments of motherhood, again and again. And, I bet that similar thoughts go through your head each night as well. You may struggle with something different, a cleaner house, too much TV time, or other frustrations, but the feelings of defeat are just the same.

But, moms do you know when you go to bed each night, God sees us as something totally different?

We see our failures, God sees a mom doing KINGDOM WORK

We see our mistakes, God sees His GRACE

 We see everything we didn’t do; God sees the desires of our Heart.

We see disappointments, God sees HIS child, and knows our true identity is in Him

We see a MESS, God sees a MASTERPIECE

Moms, I want you to know that GOD sees YOU. He knows you; He created you for this purpose. He created you for this day, and you are NOT a failure!

Don’t believe me? Look at this how God sees you scripture,

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture~Psalm 100:3

When you get up each morning, I want you to remember that God put you where you are. He put you in YOUR home, with YOUR children. No one else could be a better mom to them than you are. You were placed on this earth to mother those children, and no matter how many times you may mess up (We ALL mess up) that does not mean you failed.

God sees and knows everything. And guess what? God doesn’t love us because of what we DO; He loves us because of who we are. We are HIS. He doesn’t see our failures or our mishaps. He sees our heart.

 For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart~1 Samuel 16:7

So, moms, let’s remember that no matter how the world sees us, no matter how we see us, God sees us as so much more. He gave us Kingdom Work to do, and we are not failing at it.

How do you think God sees you?

PS: Want more joy on your journey as a mom? Grab this tangible reminder!