A Mothers Heart

Little did I know, when I became a mother, that my heart would be stretched, pinched, pounded, pierced, broken, and rebuilt over and over again. There is so much joy and sorrow wrapped into the raising of each child.

When your child comes into the world, you hold so many hopes, dreams and expectations for him/her. In a mother's eyes, she sees all the things her child can become, inevitably though, there comes a time when the realization hits... this child has his own mind. He makes choices that go against our hearts. We watch as they make mistakes, some little and some big. We try to guide, we want their best, we grieve when their decisions will have undesirable consequences.

Much like God feels with each of us. We are His children. He loves us with the heart of a mother and a father. He grieves our poor decisions, and rejoices when we finally get it right. He loves us unconditionally, right where we are and with His whole heart.

As I am challenged with the decisions of my own children, I try to keep Gods love for me and them in mind. I have to hold on to His heart and let Him carry me when mine is breaking. Our children can sometimes challenge us to our very core. They stretch our patience, test our resolve, push us to new heights of love. When we feel crushed by their rebellion, God is our source of strength. He reaches His hand out and places it in ours. He loves us and our children with a love greater than we will ever be able to fathom. When we feel lost. He finds us. When we are at the end of our rope, He ties a knot so we can hold on. When all hope seems gone, He pours out a fresh helping of faith and strength to us.

So in the years of the stretching, pinching, and breaking of my heart, I have found God right there, His hand in mine, continually rebuilding, reshaping, and refilling my mother's heart with His abounding love.