Lisa Leonard
About the Author

Lisa Leonard is mom to two boys, David, 13 and Matthias, 12 and wife to Steve. In between school and work they spend their time playing outdoors on the central coast of California, eating chocolate chip pancakes, tapping tunes on the piano (David) and choreographing elaborate light saber duels (Matthias)....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. My daughter who is 3months old has taught me how unimportant money and material things are…I always worried we wouldn’t have enough money to give her what she ‘needs’ Now I realize all she needs is food, sleep, and our unconditional love and we need her Love <3 there are so many more important things!

  2. My first son was born 10 weeks early while I was on life support in a coma, so to say that motherhood wasn’t what I expected is the understatement of the century! In the 17+ years since, my children have taught me grace, patience and the ability to trust God with my heart and theirs.

  3. Being a mother means endless opportunities to take honest looks at myself, endless chances for God to chisel away everything that doesn’t look like Himself.
    Being a mother means I get to be a grandma. Four daughters, four sons-in-law, eight grandchildren = a full life.
    Being a mother also means I give hearty thanks for my own mother.

  4. What awesome picture and story. My very young neighbor is finding out that motherhood in your teens is VERY hard. I pray for her, have taken in food but the baby has colic and she is struggling. Please say a prayer for her. thanks.

    • Dear Mary,

      I’m so sorry that your neighbor is struggling right now being a mom in her teens, but I pray that she will know God’s deep comfort and provision and protection during this time and always! Lord, I lift up to You right now Mary’s young neighbor, struggling as a teenage parent…asking You to fill her heart with the deep knowledge of You and Your love that she needs…please bless her immensely for her openness to life, in choosing to give birth and accept the call to motherhood at a young age–bless her for that, Lord! Richly reward her for her openness to You, to life, and her courage! Please help her to know that You are always with her and will never forsake her or her baby, no matter what! Wrap both her and her baby in Your arms, and heal the baby of her colic and whatever else may ail her, and bring her to perfect health and healing. Please strengthen her mother, Lord, and shower them both with Your deepest blessings! Provide for both of them–financially, emotionally, spiritually, and please give the mother the time and energy she needs to care for her baby–meet all their needs, Lord! And help the mother to come to know You, Lord, more intimately and deeply than she ever has before, and then enable her to impart that knowledge and love of You to her baby as well. Be with them both, and bless them both! And bless Mary for caring for them and helping them, and show her how to best assist them, and show her if there is anything else specifically that she should do for them which she hasn’t already done. Bless her for her loving spirit! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

  5. I am learning daily how much it takes to be a Mom…and how much God continues to teach me about being less selfish and more loving. My two boys (Mason, alomost 4 and Josh, 2.5) are 16 months apart. All was well with Mason, but after Josh I struggled woth PPD. Add colic, little help and an out of state move in there and it’ was not always pretty. We are on the up swing though- God has been working miracles with me! Every day I see the grace, love and acceptance of these boys and it makes me want to be the best Mom possible! My awesome hubby and these darling boys are changing me for the better.

  6. Motherhood has made me appreciate my own mom so much more! It has also given me a new kind of love. Yes, I love my family and my husband, but mommy love is so different and powerful. And feeling that kind of love has helped me to see that this is the love that God has for me, my husband, and for my little boy.
    Imagining my imperfect mommy love taken to perfection and multiplied infinitely…that is our God!

  7. being the oldest of 5 girls, I’ve always been ‘the mom’. even friendships in high school meant that I played the mom, watching over and taking care of them all. my 2 children are grown and married, bringing grandchildren into our lives, and this is where this mom’s rewards have been multiplied! watching my son care for his own sons fills my heart to overflowing. watching my daughter take on the role of auntie with deep compassion swells my heart and both bring me to tears.
    But, the deeper truth is knowing God has grown them into these beautiful, deeply loving, caring individuals has changed me and reminded me…they are His, they never were mine.

  8. Isn’t it wonderful that we serve a loving God who knows just what we need and when we need it? The gift of your son was given to you at just the moment God felt you were worthy to receive it. Praise His Holy Name!

  9. My four 21 & up kids love me to the hilt. Some days I know it; some days I don’t. Children don’t change you. Deep does. Deep Repentance from living life loving more than God. My 6 babies in a grave; my 4 adult children walking well have been mirrors Into my soul. More in love with God than ever through deep suffering and unutterable joy known as parenting.

  10. As an empty-nester, I can say that being a mom has been where I have felt my greatest joys AND my greatest sorrows! I’m oh, so grateful that my Heavenly Father has walked each season with us, and continues to set the example of loving us, despite the joys and sorrows we bring to Him!

  11. Being a mother taught me many things and my love for my girls just grew and grew and grew! One lesson I learned is to never, ever give up on your child. My one daughter had a rough time growing up and at one time I thought I would never see her and my grandson again but God had a different plan for her life. Today she is one of the most beautiful Christian women I know. She made a complete turn around and today she works with youth both at her church as a youth director and in the community by running a youth program at a local Y. She has a true understanding of and a great love for all the youth she comes in contact with. God truly does have a plan for each of us and we should never give up on anyone no matter what the circumstances. God is good all the time. All the time God is good!

  12. She has taught me so much about unconditional love and sacrifice. Her little heart is so full of love for those around her, which is definitely something I want to emulate. She reminds me all the time of God’s great gift of love to all of us. Being a mommy is tough, the newborn days were tough, and life with a toddler and another on the way is tough, but God teaches me so much through the lives He has blessed me with. I’m truly changed.

  13. God is love!!! and there is no other tangible way He shows it more than to allow one to embrace, in all it’s fullness, the responsibility, nurturing, happy/sad etc etc, joys of being a mom!!! (and dad too!) whether it be fruit of your womb, or fruit of your heart, children are a gift!!! and each one is special…in their own unique ways…to teach us, and to give us just a tiny glimpse, into the heart of the Father!
    happy mother’s day to all!!! whether mothering your own, or someone else’s, you are included!!!

  14. When I became pregnant at age 17, I was sure my life was over. Although I love my parents (and have done a lot of forgiving over the years,) they provided me and my six brothers and sisters with highly dysfunctional childhoods. Even as a young person, I knew I did not want children. Entering parenthood not knowing what to expect, and having the naievete (spelling?) of youth on our side, my very young husband and I welcomed our first child and our adventure began. Daily and surprisingly to me, I was flooded with love for this little being, but I didn’t think it would last. I thought it might be like a passing fancy, or a honeymoon period. So not true. It took no time at all for me to be totally engulfed in love for my beautiful baby girl. It was difficult to put her down because I wanted to hold her and hug/kiss her constantly. I just could not pass through the room where she was sleeping or playing without picking her up for a snuggle and a laugh together. The love I experienced as a first-time parent began a healing process in me that I did not even recognize until years later. I discovered that I could love unconditionally. We grew up together, this gorgeous baby girl, my husband, and me. God blessed us with two more fabulous children, and each one taught us new lessons about love, parenting, forgiveness, endurance, understanding. I couldn’t have known at age 17 that God would use the circumstance of an unexpected pregnancy to draw me closer to Himself. He used this difficult situation in my life to help me change an unhealthy family dynamics cycle for the better. Today we are not a perfect family. But we are strong, we love each other, and God is leading each of us toward Himself. I am incredibly blessed and eternally grateful.

  15. God used me son to save me. I know God was the only one who could theologically, but sending Christofer was the way in which he did it. Finding out I was pregnant changed me completely in a practical way–no more doing harmful things to my body and instantly wanting to be “better” for that babe I was carrying. When he came, he wrecked me but in the best way possible. In and out of the hospital the first year of his life, I learned to depend on God in a way I wouldn’t have had I not been a mother. I am forever grateful.

  16. I have 3 children a son and 2 daughters. Both of my daughters have complex behaviour disorders and while they were infants it wasn’t know it became clear as they approached their 2nd birthdays that life was going to be a challenge of finding what works and outburst and temper tantrums that would raise the roof. Only God’s love sustains me thru the difficult days and I am able to see a future for them through his eyes. I wouldn’t exchange them for anything…

  17. My mom loved her five children with gentleness and strength. Her children came out like her in love but with differing personalities. It’s been amazing to watch my three brothers and one sister love their babies into precious, kind adults. Mom’s love has permeated two generations so far.

  18. Oh, how I love to read of your love for your son! When our son was suctioned out of me, almost 10 years ago, we were frustrated at the wait and how stubbornly my body was hanging on to him! I dreamt of all of the things I would teach him and all of the love lessons we would share together. And when the word “Autism” crashed into our dreamy world, I realized that those love lessons were going to come much harder. I’m changed, now, into a more persistent teacher and more patient learner. He teaches me these things. And I’m so grateful.

  19. My first baby, while healthy otherwise, struggled with speech and gross motor skill delays. While other moms were happily chirping about their babies saying their first words and starting to crawl and walk, I had to swallow the lump in my throat because my baby wasn’t doing any of those things. I didn’t get those typical milestones and special moments. They came, but much later and after therapy and doctor evaluations and blood tests. So it wasn’t the same. I cried many, many times about it. Part of me knew my son was okay but the other part of me wanted to know FOR SURE. I wanted to see him walk and hear him talk. I wanted to be able to share in those moments with other moms and not have to hear the annoying generic “He’ll do it in his own time” over and over again.

    He’s 3 1/2 now and doing so much better. But these first few years of motherhood have been difficult for me. They weren’t what I was expecting at all. I have learned, through much heartache and tears and disappointment, to let it go and roll with the punches. To not put so much stock in the overhyped milestones. And to not read parenting magazines. Because those can suck the confidence out of a struggling mother’s heart faster than almost anything.

    I think, though, it has made me stronger. If my first baby had been easy in those areas I might have taken it for granted and it might have made me think of myself more highly than I ought to. I have learned that I can’t take credit for a great many things about my firstborn son. And it has humbled me. I look at my second baby differently too. He doesn’t have the developmental delays my oldest did. It’s been a breeze by comparison. But I know it has nothing to do with anything I did, any parenting method I applied, any book I read. It is because he is himself. And my oldest is himself. And the best thing I can do as their mother is to get to know their little hearts and minds and souls and do the best I can for them.

    And in all that, I have learned to have a heck of a lot more grace for myself. I am not perfect, so I cannot be a perfect mother. I am going to make mistakes. I am going to look back when my children are grown and think about how I could have done some things differently. Every parent does. So when I make mistakes, the best I can do is pick myself off, dust myself off, apologize to my children because Mommy messes up sometimes too, and move on. There is too much fun to be had, too many hugs and kisses and laughter to share, to dwell on my imperfections as a mom. 🙂

  20. so many of your stories humble me and my relatively easy experience of motherhood. i have always believed that we all struggle – sometimes visibly to others ; often internally and to others unaware. i too could not imagine how completely motherhood would affect me- and i was well into my thirties when my beautiful tiny daughter was born. she came on her own terms, at her own time. her very strong personality required me to adapt so much of my own – to raise her and teach her, to guide her when she did “not need you anymore mommy “. when to speak up and when to keep my opinions to myself – praying all the while for guidance from above for both of us. praying for her safety and protection when she was away from me; with friends i did not like and boys i knew had unsavory motives. i thank God daily for all He has given and provided. she is a lovely and capable young woman about to embark on a career of her choosing, living on her own -in her own time on her own terms. she loves us and respects us and tells us often. i am both so proud of her and amazed that i/we produced such a person ! and i know fully that i could not have accomplished this feat without God’s constant love and guidance.

  21. Thanks you for posting this! Special needs kids are no less of a blessing than any other child, and sometimes can teach you so much more! I have learned so much of the Father heart of God from being a parent, understanding how he can love us even when we are so unlovable sometimes!

  22. I think that ‘Motherhood’ is one of the most awesome things God created. He has blessed me with 3 wonderful children (one now in Heaven) and 2 beautiful grandsons. I have learned to understand God ‘s unconditional love through my children and grandchildren. 1Corinthians 13: 4-8 kind of love. My children and grandchildren have caused me to draw closer to my Loving God. One lady said,’God gave us children to keep us on our knees.’ I so agree. I thank God for giving me the privilege and opportunity to be a mother and grandmother. I see this as a mission field. I love being a mother and grandmother. It is my highest calling in this life. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers reading this. Love your children with the love that God has loved you with. God Bless you all.

  23. Both my parents taught me about love, sacrifice and sticking with it even when you want to quit.

    My husband and I dearly miss both of our moms, but we also know they are in a much much better place!

  24. My 2 girls have taught me extreme patience and what battles to fight! They have opened my heart to more love than I ever imagined possible! They do define who I am, I do work outside the home but my girls & husband come first!

  25. Your boy is precious! Many blessings upon you and your family. I love your jewelry!
    I ended up being a single mom…………NOT of my choosing! I did the best I knew how and have loved my kids for who they really are and allowed them to be those people.I can’t tell you how very much I loved being a mom………..EVERY part! I would do it ALL again. I miss it tremendously! Grieve it actually! My kids are grown and never call or want to see me much. I do not say anything…………..glad for what they are able to give……………just want to be in their lives…………nothing is wrong………..they are not mad…………they just seem to not NEED me in their lives. So hard………I have to continually give this to God and I am praying it will not always be this way! Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Be blessed and KNOW you are a blessing!

    • Oh Pam! I pray you a Daughter of the Heart as you seek to connect with the love of family.

      xoLaura

  26. My 2 girls along with being a yoga teacher have taught me another level of patience. I never imagined I could love anyone as much as I love my hubby but I do! I work outside of the home but my girls & hubby always come first!

  27. I’m not a mother, but want to share about my mama. She lost her battle to a cancerous brain tumor in 2003, 3 days before my 30th birthday. She had always had a strong faith, but the strength she showed through her 16 months of fighting her disease was amazing. I still remember when she was first diagnosed and the doctor told us the tumors had metastisized…she looked at our panicked faces and said, “what’s the worst that can happen? I go home to be with Jesus!” I am humbled by her faith.

  28. What a beautiful tribute to your child and your God on His gift to you as a mother. You are blessed and I absolutely loved hearing your heart in this post! Being a mother is the hardest thing, the greatest thing, and the thing that keeps me closest to Jesus!

    Happy Mother’s Day!

  29. If I’m thankful for one thing this Mothers’ Day, it’s for my kids’ forgiveness for all the MANY ways I’ve messed up over the years. I meant well, of course, but it’s a learning curve for all of us!

  30. At 62 I am a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. It was at my mother’s knee that I learned about faith in a God that I couldn’t see with human eyes, touch wih human hands or hear with human ears.

    Growing up we had wood heat in a drafty house that my parents rented. Mom would get up early every morning and build a fire, fix us a hot breakfast, our lunches and then put her tea pot on the stove. As we would begin leaving she would kiss each of us goodbye and tell us she loved us.

    She then fixed herself a cup of tea, sat in her rocking chair and reached for her Bible, where she would read the Word and pray. She followed that same routine at night and many times I would sit at her feet with my head resting on her knees. I’d ask her what she was reading and why, I asked her how she knew that God was real when you couldn’t see him. She told me that she could see God, He was in the bloom of the flowers, the rainbow in the sky.

    She taught me about faith and instilled it deep within me. That most important life lesson has seen me through some horrific life events and I learned that even when I took my eyes off of God, He never once took His eyes off of me.

    Mom is going to be 79 and while her body is slowing down her faith has been proved over and over. She doesn’t have much as far as worldly wealth but the riches she has waiting for her in heaven is beyond anything anyone has ever seen on this earth.

    My mom is the greatest woman I’ve ever known and I am blessed that God gave me to her.

  31. “I knew better than…..at the end of a relationship”….words I cannot fill in, for I never want my small beloved to know. At 17 months as a new mother, I did not expect my husband of 12 years to stand over me, I begging to be better, act better do better and his face in a sneer of mixed hatred and triumph, to announce I would become a single mother.

    And in this single journey, 2 years old and sore as new bruise, I unearth The Father of The Fatherless, the Husband to the Widow (Deut. 10:18) and give thanks, opening the morning as my Mother did, “RISE AND SHINE! The Sun is Shining & the Birds are Singing, this is the day The Lord hath made, we will rejoice and BE GLAD IN IT.”

  32. God bless you and your family. Your son is so cute. I pray God will heal him of his defect. I see some parents ashamed of their child, ( especially deformed, mentally challenged, or down syndrome). But I see a lot of love in this picture. Have a blessed and happy Mother’s Day.

  33. Nothing makes me more aware of my own depravity than motherhood. Nothing drives me to my knees, to the cross more often than parenting. Nothing has given me a greater awareness and gratitude for the power of God in the Spirit than motherhood. I have experienced his nearness more as a parent than in any other season or area of my life. It is an area of great redemption!

  34. Lisa… Thank you for sharing this precious post. The Lord used it to bring me so much encouragement tonight as my little one, who was born with a host of issues – including eventually needing a feeding tube – was having a rough afternoon. I was struggling with doubt and fear and then I read your words about how your son makes you better… less selfish… and it resonated with my weary spirit. Thank you for using your story to lift up mommies everywhere… inspiring us to keep our eyes fixed heavenward. 🙂 God bless you.

  35. I have nine children, and I had the most wonderful life until my husband passed away a year ago. Motherhood is difficult, but being both a father and mother to my children now is impossible, and I struggle to survive from day to day. Even the simple tasks are challenging, and I find myself second-guessing my decisions constantly. My husband was the love of my life, and each child was an answer to prayer, but I feel like the situation I face now was never meant to be.

    A few months before my husband died, a pair of our parakeets laid three beautiful eggs. We separated the couple and their eggs from the other birds, watching and waiting eagerly for them to hatch. The mother and father took turns feeding the babies until one day when the mother was accidentally let go while changing the water in the cage. The father then struggled to keep up with the growing demands of the hungry brood, and one morning we discovered him dead in the cage. Maybe he didn’t feed himself, or maybe he died of a heart attack, but the little birds were then unable to survive without him. I know my children need me, but I often think of our little parakeets, and I find myself trying to escape reality, and not wanting to accept life for what it is now.

    • Mother of Nine,
      My heart breaks for you and the circumstances you are walking through right now. Please don’t try to bear this burden alone. Seek out those who can help you, practically, emotionally, and spiritually. Although our situations are different (I have three children in Heaven, lost in pregnancy), a book I found that was incredibly helpful was the One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie. She lost two children in infancy and she and her husband also work with GriefShare (www.griefshare.orf), another wonderful resource for those of us struggling to get through each day after a loss.

      I am praying for you tonight. You are not alone.

    • Mother of Nine,

      I am so deeply sorry for your loss. I have three children and I can’t fathom parenting them alone. I feel the weight of your burden seeping through your words. I wish I could make it better, bring him back for you. I don’t know why your journey has taken this turn that you never expected or asked for, but I know that God knows your heart, your hurts, your needs, and He is worthy of your trust.

      Reaching hugs and prayers to you, sweet mama, from across the web,
      Becky

    • Mother of nine,
      I know life seem so hard right now and I’m very sorry for your lost. But don’t lose hope God is soo good and big and merciful. He say in he word he a hisband

      • Mother of nine sorry about my miss spell words. My phone keyboard is working slow but God in his word says his a husband just trust him lean on himhe can be everything you need and provide all your needs. Sorry for your loss God can help you. With him all things are possible be blessed mama. May the lord keep you and make his face shine upon you and may he comfort your heart and may his favor ans grace and peace be upon you amen. Jesus loves you.

  36. Becoming a mother has taught me to trust God. My first daughter (now five) was conceived naturally after three years of unexplained infertility. My second daughter was born to Heaven when I was nearly 19 weeks pregnant. My third daughter, Kyria, was born to Heaven when I was 8 weeks pregnant, and our fourth baby, Jordan, was born to Heaven when I was in my fourth week of pregnancy. Our fifth child, our son, was born squirming and screaming over a year ago after a healthy, but anxious, full-term pregnancy. God has used each of my pregnancies to reveal areas of my life where I was not trusting Him and how to change that. Most of all, I have learned that trusting God means believing that He is good and just, regardless of my circumstances, and that I can follow Him in full confidence of His love and care for me.

  37. You’re son is adorable!! 🙂
    I’m a very young mother and being so young has helped me matuee in alot of ways and be less selfish. & most of all seeing God grace work in me n children
    with his unfailing live.be blesses

  38. Being a mom has taught me to rely on God in ways no other challenging (and blessing) has. I need HIS strength, HIS wisdom, HIS patience, HIS endurance, HIS love every single day to mother my three boys. If/When I try to do it on my own…disaster inevitably follows.

    “Apart from me you can do nothing,” Jesus says. Motherhood has helped me to more fully understand the depth of this meaning and has challenged me to embrace the fact that this truth in my life is a good thing.

  39. Happy Mother’s Day! Sweet message reminded me the birth of my 3 children. They are grownups today, and I’m raising my first grandson. I’m back in the motherhood, or better I’m grandma raising grandchildren. My adorable 8 years-old made a beautiful gift – a framed butterfly and a card. I cried quietly. It’s his first Mother’s Day away from mom. Thanks for sharing the emotion of becoming a mom:)

  40. Being a mom means loving your child, even when they do things that break your heart. Loving my one child through a very difficult time right now. Motherhood brings you the greatest joy and the greatest heartache. I thank you Lord for the good and the bad.
    Bev

  41. Motherhood has been a daily reminder for me to never take anything for granted .To become selfless and to fully embrace each day whether it’s full of joy or sorrow.To seek guidance of courage , wisdom and strength when in doubt of myself.And to always be grateful for the greatest gift of all.

    This I’m sure I learned from my Mother who will always be in my heart .

    Penny

  42. Lisa,
    What a blessing your son is , from the photo you can see how much joy he brings to your life!

    Thank-you for sharing it with us.
    Penny

  43. My daughters have saved me in so many ways, from the moment I was pregnant I knew i could never take another blade to my skin. if i couldn’t love myself I could love this tiny being inside of me.

    When my third daughter was born and we learned of her disabilities it was then I knew that God had blessed me more than i could have ever imagined. She changed my view of the world. i learned to see wonder in the present to appreciate the now. When we lost her yes i grieved, yes I still grieve but I will never stop being thankful for the gift of being a mother.

    My four girls are my world.

  44. Being a mom taught me selflessness, grace and unconditional love. My babies are all grown up now, but they will always be my babies! I’m so proud of the adults they have become, and now I’m blessed with two very beautiful granddaughters. I couldn’t have asked for a more blessed life, as I was able to be there at home for them while they were growing up.

    • The picture of you and your son is beautiful. Happy mothers day to all the wonderful mamas out there, you are doing the most important job here on earth.

  45. David’s smile is amazing! He lights up the whole room right through my monitor.

    To me, it’s amazing how much more passionate about life I became after having my son. I wanted to live to be the best example I could for him.

    Blessings to you on Mother’s day!

  46. My oldest is 4 1/2 and my twins are 11 months old. I just keep learning – every day. I had always heard how having children “changes everything,” and I just let it go in one ear and out the other. But I was amazed at how true that is. It changes EVERYthing. In crazy ways, in fun ways, in difficult ways, in good ways. . . everything.

    But I think the biggest thing I learned was unconditional love. I understand God’s sacrifice and His love for me so much more than I ever did before I was a mother. A parent’s love for his or her child is just unexplainable. It’s unlike anything else in this world. The strongest, most beautiful, most heart-breaking thing I will ever experience. I wouldn’t trade it.

  47. The gift of motherhood gave me a greater appreciation of my own mother and the sacrifices and struggles she endured. As a child and teen I was envious of my friends who had “perfect mothers” who stayed home baking treats and doing crafts with their children. It wasn’t until I had my own children that I learned how much of herself my mother had given so we could have so much. Motherhood did not come naturally to her nor does it to me. Becomimg a mother opened my eyes to the unconditional love that I always received, the gift of praise that I took for granted and the dreams that were sacrificed so my sister and I could have so many opportunities.
    I feel blessed that my mother and I are so much closer now that I have my own children. I just wish I had opened my eyes sooner.

  48. When I became a mom…it showed me the love of Jesus. Explanation: I was raised in church but for some reason, I was one for those kiddo’s who often walks around life with an empty bucket…not feeling loved by her family, especially her father. I felt like if my earthy father did not love me, and he only sees a portion of “who I am,” then how can God, who knows even my ugly thoughts, how could HE love me? Well, in my mind, He couldn’t. I just wasn’t good enough, even though I tried. Long story short…I had struggled with depression from age 12. Here I was a 25, and so deep in the mire of my depression that I wanted to kill myself. But I was pregnant with our first child, so suicide was not an option….If I killed myself, my baby would die to.
    But one night, while I was in the calm, paralyzing part of the depression cycle….I heard a question pressed into my heart, “do you love that child?” My answer of course was ‘yes.” And the next question pressed into my heart was, “What has that child done to earn your love?” Well, “Nothing…I just love this child.” Indeed, HE pressed into my heart the thoughts, “You, like this child, can not earn my love. It is freely given. You can’t be good enough, or bad enough to change the fact that I love you, and have died for you.” I called out to Him saying, “I have prayed to you for so many years, I can’t say that salvation prayer again. Will you just please save my soul. I can no longer live this life without you.” And that is when I, a little church girl, got truly saved by grace at age 25. I have never been the same….a new creation indeed. That baby is 17.5 years old, and I often think of what a loving Lord I have when I look at him. That was what happened when I became a mother. 🙂

  49. My mom was the most amazing mother in the world. I know lots of people think that, but for me it is the truth I know in deep down in my soul. My mother was the rock of our family, our strength, our glue. Big things, little things. Nothing fazed her…or if it did we never knew it. When I was about thirteen, in that terrifying stage of early adolescence when you feel so unsure of everything I was talking to her about feeling bad because this boy I liked in my English class wouldn’t like me if I was smarter than he wash. I didn’t want him to know I didn’t need his help in the class and actually knew more than he did about the book we were reading. My mother sat me right down and told me to never pretend I was something I wasn’t. It was up to me to be exactly who I was and if I was smarter than a boy that was just the way it was and if he couldn’t deal with it he wasn’t the boy for me. She of course was spot on. Years later when I met my late husband I knew he would be in my life forever because he could deal with me just as I was. A simple lesson for a tortured teenager but one with a life long message. Thanks MOM!

  50. Lisa – I have to thank you for making me pause and reflect on what it means to be a mom. Back in 1987, after many tries and many fails, God blessed me with a beautiful 10 pound baby boy we named Jonathan. My heart was so full of love – his dad and I watched him grow and celebrated each accomplishment and every milestone in his life. We watched him graduate from high school at the top of his class. We watched him graduate from college, secure a job that he clearly loved, and helped him set up his first apartment. Such wonderful days. Then on March 1st, 2012 we got the call that no parent ever wants to hear – Jonathan’s apartment caught fire and he did not survive. They found him feet from the door. Since that day, God’s plan for my life has changed, no doubt. I have been thru every emotion I can think of – and then some. I have tried not to be angry at God – but sometimes when I have nowhere left to turn, I face God with anger in my voice and ask him why 🙁 Of course, the answer is simple. It was his time. Last year on Mother’s Day I was still numb with pain. Yeserday, I truly felt the pain of losing my only child and oh it was staggering! But you reminded me, Lisa, that being a mom is sacred. It is hard work. It is loving and learning and leaving and mourning all rolled into one. Still – God chose me to be Jonathan’s mom. And I will always be a better person for having him in my life. I dedicate the rest of my days on this earth to living a purpose-filled life like he did in his 24 years on earth. If anyone cares to read, here is the link to his obituary that tells you how he lived – not how he died 🙂

    http://www.eackles-spencerfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1413616&fh_id=13130

    Again – thank you for all you do to lift us up – I gave several of your necklaces and bracelets to friends this year as a thank-you for helping me thru the most difficult time of my life.

    Much love,

    Diane

    • What a wonderful young man, and what a life….full! I will be praying for peace and healing from the Lord. My heart goes out to you.

  51. My first son was a twin, born at 26 weeks, 2.8 lbs. His identical brother did not survive after 3 weeks. Brian is 35 years old now, and I wouldn’t trade him for the world. He has taught me that all the sleepless nights eventually become blessings… I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything!

  52. Being a mother meant giving God an avenue to teach me things i could not have learned any other way.

  53. Being a mom is certainly not how I had expected it to be. After 10 years of infertility we adopted a 7 year old and since have adopted twins, all from foster care. This is an unexpected journey, but a beautiful one!

  54. Motherhood has become so much richer and more painful than I thought possible. Your post resinated in my heart, as I vividly remember when my first born came 17 weeks too soon… she fought for life. Because of her premature birth she has many, many special needs and her health is very fragile. How precious she is to us!! My heart has never broken so deeply or learned to love more fiercely than it has since she made me a mom. 9 years later, 2 more babies and one adopted toddler and my arms are full.
    Happy Mother’s Day!

  55. Thank You Lisa for sharing your beautiful story. Being a Mom has changed my life so much. I feel blessed and honored that God has given me 3 amazing sons. (Adam-11, Joshua-9, Isaiah-3 1/2) They are all so special in their own way. After our 3rd and youngest son Isaiah was born, our lives were completely thrown upside down as well. Isaiah has Down syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Isaiah was hospitalized many times his first couple of years and has had multiple surgeries. The worst hospital stay was 40 days when Isaiah contracted something from the hospital a week before that. He caught a bad stomach bacterial infection called “C-Diff”. Anyone that is immune compromised including the elderly can die from this. Isaiah was misdiagnosed and this ran rampant in his system for almost a full month until he was properly diagnosed by a G.I. Specialist. He was 8 months old and suffered severe weight loss (down to only 8 lbs.) We were devastated and Isaiah took a downward spiral fast. He was revived in the ICU. It was a very long 40 days, I went 20 days in a row without sleep. God has been so good and faithful. Isaiah is one of the happiest, strongest boys I have ever known, always has a smile on his face and brings joy to everyone he meets. My older 2 boys are wonderful with their brother and I am so proud of them getting through all of this so well and doing great in school. Through Motherhood, God has taught me to trust Him in everything. I daily give up my concerns to Him and He gives me His immeasurable strength when I am weak. Our sons have brought so much love and joy in our lives. The joy God gives sure does outweigh the pain. 🙂 I am wonderfully blessed! We all are! Happy Mother’s Day Mom’s!!! Be Blessed! 😀