Today is Mother's Day.
Some days as a mother are harder than others: the first night alone with a newborn, the first day of kindergarten, the first time you see your child fail at something, and for some reason, Mother's Day sometimes ranks on that list.
It should be a day when we look around and are so grateful for what we have. We are to be praised and respected that day, right?
But when a husband is working, or you are a single mother, Mother's Day can be one of the hardest days because it is a lot of emotion and work.
This is how my day started out. I was determined not to get down today. My husband was at work, because healthcare never sleeps, and I was making the best of it. It was the sabbath and I delighted in the opportunity to go to church, have 2 hours of kids in their classes which means 2 hours of learning, praising, and rejoicing in Christ.
I trudged on, getting the kids ready, giving baths, one haircut, and even went as far as to make french toast for breakfast from the leftover homemade bread I had made for the sacrament at church.
I showed up early, like 30 minutes early, to get a good seat, give the bread to those who needed to prepare it, and find peace before the meetings.
It all went downhill from there.
We were in the chapel, and my daughter threw up everywhere. I dropped everything and raced her to the bathroom, but not before she threw up 2 more times on the way to the bathroom, and once when we got there, all over the floors.
I was immediately blessed by a sweet sister that, although she has 5 kids of her own, is always there to help me out. She jumped to action, cleaning, disinfecting, and helping my daughter wash her hands.
We rushed out, kids screaming and upset they would miss church and the opportunity to sing to me at church. I got home and disinfected everything, even my new $100 shoes that I wore for one of the first times today for the special occasion. I instantly started asking why? Why would this happen to me? Why on Mother's Day? And why right in the middle of church?
Struggling is something that comes naturally to me as of late. Like really natural and I tend to become a crying mess before the day runs out most days.
It wasn't always this way. I used to be an optimist. I would be bright and cheery. In fact, I just struggled yesterday about the fact that I wasn't the cheery optimist I was in high school. Life got hard and the struggling started.
This is when I decided I needed the Lord. When I can't go to the Lord at church, He needs to come to me in the scriptures and through the Prophets.
We are told in Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)
All things. I can do it all. I can go to church by myself with three kids. I can find peace. I can someday find happiness through the struggling. I can have Mother's Day filled with gospel movies and throw up. I can do a all things.
Christ gives us strength in our trials because He has felt our struggles. He knows our hearts. He knows what we have, and he supplements what we cannot provide.
So mothers, go on and press forward. Find the happiness through Christ. Find strength through Him and He will always be there.
Because tomorrow, we get to start the day all over again...
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