Did you ever notice how critical women are of themselves? Maybe you are one of those moms or know moms like that. I am one of those moms and I am absolutely my own worst critic. I compare myself to other moms ALL the time, and I also compare myself to my mother. I think about the homemade clothes, knitted hats and mittens, canned goods from our own garden, and all the other wonderful things I associate with my mom, and think, “I don’t do any of that for my kids.”, and “And what kind of mom does that make me?”
I must state here for the record that my mom has never compared me to herself. Never. Ever. My mom has only been my biggest cheerleader for me as a mom and routinely tells me what a good job I am doing. I remember after my first child was born, and my mom sent me a card and in it she wrote how much fun it was to finally “talk mommy-talk” with me; 21 years later and I still have that card.
My mom is also quick to point out that she never worked outside the home once she became a mom. I did have the luxury of being a stay- at-home mom for 10 years while my kids were small, but 10 years ago I had to go back to work as a nurse for financial reasons. And now I find myself constantly comparing myself to other moms and wondering why they seems to have it all together, and I feel like I don’t, and I just wonder if I am the only mom who feels that way.
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Luke 11:27
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