Just the other day...my child reminded me that for one, she's amazing (wink) and two, my attempts to be a "good mommy" don't escape her (and just for the record, your attempts don't escape your little ones either).
We were finishing up with supper when Princess #2 began asking me if she could have dessert. Hmmm, I thought..."Okay, I'll make some cookies." I knew that would be quick and easy enough. I had the break-apart Pillsbury kind right in the fridge, thanks to some lovely coupons.
"Mommy, you make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world", she remarked.
Knowing I shouldn't lead her astray, I quickly confessed, "Oh honey, all I do is spread them out on a pan and put them in the oven. I don't actually make them."
Her response.......
"Well, the reason they're so good is because you put love into them."
I immediately melted into a puddle of mush on my kitchen floor!
All-at-once, I felt affirmed...by my five year old, no doubt! To me, it was as if she was saying, "I know you mess up, Mom. I know you'd like to actually be the mom that makes cookies from scratch. Or, the mom that never forgets about clothes in the washing machine. I know you'd like to have every picture of me tucked away in a super-cute scrapbook. I know you'd like to monogram every single thing I wear, read to me 20 minutes every single day, and always make each meal perfectly balanced. But guess what? Though you may not measure up to your standard of perfection...you measure up to mine...because I see you and I know that your every effort carries behind it the most important thing - - LOVE."
That's what my five year old said to me in just 12 little words. And if you'll listen, it's exactly what your little darlings are saying to you, too.
Do it with love, and nothing else matters. Do it with love, and you'll lead tiny hearts. Do it with love, and you'll make lasting impressions...the stuff legacies, and the best mommies, are made of.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
For His glory,
