24 June





1 Thessalonians 5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.


Is this what we do? Or do we smile politely and turn away because we don't want to

see ourselves or what we perceive as lacking in ourselves in any other mother. 

some of the other versions say:

build one another up

strengthen one another

Do we build each other up....as women, as sisters, as friends, as mothers?


Occasionally, my mother used to drive us to school - in her pajamas....

often she would drive right past the school until we yelled - mum! And she would turn

the car 'round and we would all scramble out as quick as we could before anyone saw us.

I've done the same thing with my own children....one morning I drove back and forth

past the school three times before my children finally stopped me!

I even knew a woman whose car broke down on her way home from dropping her son off

at the middle school. She had to walk to the local coffee shop to call her ex-husband

and ask him to come pick her up - in her pajamas!!!

Perhaps you have never been in that particular situation....but I can tell you, with fair

certainty, that you will walk the walk of shame as a mother.  We all do, because we are,

none of us, perfect. And, we never will be.

Sometimes the mother's who look the most "perfect" are holding themselves up to

a level of saintly motherhood that is simply unsustainable. I feel sorry that they have

set themselves up in such a lofty prison. I imagine their beautifully made-up faces like

a mask that they remove when they get behind their own closed doors. I imagine they

are afraid that a true honest-to-goodness smile might crack the facade.

 I no longer shop in big department stores like Wal-mart but it was there  I often

saw mother's on their last legs. They were tired, they were broke, their children

needed attention...they just wanted to get through the store so they could go home.

Their parenting skills were not the best....I judged them.

I judged the perfect mothers also.

I judged myself... I compared myself to those I was judging

Romans 14:19

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, 

and things wherewith one may edify another.

Many years ago, I sat in a fast food restaurant with my young daughters. As we ate an

older woman came over to our table and leaned in toward me. She said, "You have

wonderful, well-behaved children. You are doing a great job mothering them."

Honestly, I find it difficult to believe that my children could have been that

well-behaved. They have always been wonderful...but they were not always well

behaved. I have no recollection of how we were all behaving then.

However, I will never, ever forget the words of encouragement from that woman. Her

simple words built me up-they edified me, and I have never forgotten them.

Since then I have said the same words to other women...strangers. I have said those

words to all kinds of mothers in all kinds of places having all kinds of days.


1 Corinthians 14:26

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. 
Let all things be done unto edifying.



Comments

  1. It is a lovely and delicate flower! Loved the story of the woman in her pajamas walking to the store. Also appreciate the fact that you told the story about the woman who complimented you about your children's behavior. I often do that when out dining and seeing families together. Good to hear that it is meaningful. The funniest retort was at a vacation spot when I watched a grandmother with a charming and active grandchild, who nonetheless was very well behaved. After I complimented the grandmother about the child, she responded, "Thanks, but just wait!!"

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  2. Beautiful and inspiring. I pray that I do better this day to lift someone up.

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  3. What a wonderful post! So full of truth and wisdom! I love the way that lady came and gave you that encouragement and how you have passed that on to countless others. Words are so powerful..."life and death are in the power of the tongue". Thank God for you and your dear blog, sweet friend. :)

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  4. How lovely what the older woman did. It is really encourging it isto lift a fellow woman up especially when they feel inadequate.
    God Bless and thank you for dropping your words of encouragement earlier today.

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  5. Being real is what is important, and acknowledging that we don't always have it together, but must constantly lean on the help of the Lord is truth for each one of us. We all strive to be perfect, but in reality, not possible. A beautiful post about the value of taking off our masks, being real, and continuing to strive to do our best! May the Lord continue to bless your writing for Him :)

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  6. Hi! I'm your neighbor on Holley Gerth's link-up today!
    Such an inspiring post! Thank you!! Blessings!

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  7. This post is very deep... Very deep... And thanks for lifting me up with these words today. Also thanks for visiting my blog and commenting.

    Summer

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  8. I experienced the same sort of encouragement from an older woman when I had my then two-year-old daughter in the grocery store with me. We had just moved to a new town where I knew no one other than my husband and my in-laws. Her live-giving words still have a special place in my memories and in my heart all these years later - my daughter is now 37 years old. Thank you for your beautiful post. Visiting as a neighbor this morning at #DanceWithJesus Linkup.

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  9. This is such a lovely and gently encouraging post.

    We've definitely all been there. I am sad for the young moms out there now who have Facebook statuses and pictures from other moms to further make them think less of themselves because they are thinking that the other moms "have it all together". But we all know that Facebook statuses are not sharing the whole story.

    The proverb says better to have a small house than a big house with much strife. The same could be said of driving our children to school in our pajamas, "Better to drive our kids to school in pajamas, then be all made up and dressed to the nines." :-)

    I'm a grandmother now and have spent time mentoring young moms at Mothers of Preschoolers where moms gather and have relationships which spur and encourage each other on. It's a wonderful thing!

    Thanks for sharing your insights. :-)

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  10. What a sweet post. I've never taken my children to school but I'm sure I've done things that match that LOL !!! But I know our children, neighbors, church friends, lady at the check put just remember our kindness. Thanks for sharing you heart. Blessings.

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  11. However, I will never, ever forget the words of encouragement from that woman. Her

    simple words built me up-they edified me, and I have never forgotten them.

    Since then I have said the same words to other women...strangers. I have said those

    words to all kinds of mothers in all kinds of places having all kinds of days.

    And what a GIFT you are to others. Thank you...

    ReplyDelete

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