About the Author
Jen encourages women to embrace both the beauty and bedlam of their everyday lives at BeautyandBedlam.com. A popular speaker, worship leader, and author of Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation, Jen lives in North Carolina with her husband, five children, and a sofa for anyone...
I love this post! Beautiful story. Thanks so much for sharing. Now, though I do not have a son or daughter yet (stilllllll waiting), I am going to buy a Ped-Egg and give my sister a pedicure like she’s never had! (Maybe we’ll take turns and she’ll give me one too.) 🙂 This post really made my day and filled me. Thank you again.
That’s great…and even better think of the tears, laughs, and ahhhh’s you will get if/when you share it during his wedding reception. 😉
Beautiful post! This almost made me cry.
I am a new mommy. Well, kind of new- I have 15-month old baby boy. 🙂
I can’t wait to see him grow but I am definitely cherishing the little moments.
“When a mommy’s heart” is fully engaged in reaching his” I loved this! I was reading something the other day about this. That our mothering is not so we can “get through” these early years… but that we can see our children’s children worshiping the One True God. It said “I am doing THIS (all the hard mothering of toddlers, discipline, instruction, etc) for my Grandchildren”
Wow! Leaving a spiritual legacy! you have a sweet relationship with you teen I pray I have with mine at that age!
What a sweet sweet story and life moment! Just this morning my 5 year old Asian daughter watched me put on make-up. She wanted blush and lipstick. I stroked the empty brush on her cheeks and told her, “your skin is beautiful”. She asked me, mommy why do you put makeup on? I told her I was older and needed a little help. She said, “mommy, you’re beautiful too.” My heart smiled.
Such an awesome reminder!! Thank you for the encouragement to stay the course!
Oh Jen –
Wow, just wow. That is soo very profoundly beautiful. It had this mama to boys all choked up. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like to have had the boy that you bore serving you in that humble way.
What a memory!
~Lisa-Jo
this was such a lovely post…brought tears to my eyses because i have a 13 going on 14 yr old son and sometimes I feel so defeated or discouraged when it comes to our relationship…but u have shown me a new perspective and now i am looking forward to going through his growth from boy to man!
Oh my goodness… Praise Jesus! You have such a way with words. I too have tears in my eyes. Thank you.
What a love story.
And teen to young adult is hard too. sigh
But mostly beautiful. And always showing me , teaching me.
Wow! I have tears in my eyes! What a guy! What a mom! Because those things aren’t taught, they’re caught!
My own girls are 14 and 11, and while yes the pre-teen and teen years have their challenges, they are wonderful!!
Oh Jen..as the mama of teen/tween boys this post made me cry. Those moments are certainly to be treasured..they are gifts from God!
Oh wow! You made me cry…what an incredibly beautiful moment between mother and son and such a representation of Jesus washing the disciples feet. What an incredibly loving thing for him to do. You have raised a wonderful, loving young man. A true blessing!!! Thank you for sharing such an incredible private moment with us.
Being a momma of young men (9 and 11)myself…this made my heart ache. How precious.
Jen, that is disgusting and beautiful at the same time!
I’m sure all the ladies with teen daughters will be calling with engagement proposals for the (distant?) future. You have raised him to be quite a catch!
This story really touched me. I think about my oldest son, now 4, and could picture him doing as your son did. He has such a sweet spirit. I guess it touched me even more because I just recently dusted off my ped egg and got to work on my own feet…..kinda gross!!!
This “blessed my socks off”!! My husband and I are in the middle of launching a ministry in South Africa, and the basics of our work involve measuring up people for a new pair of socks and shoes and washing their feet. It was wonderful and refreshing to be reminded today the simple, beautiful significance of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet.
I cannot imagine my 19-month-old doing something like that someday, but I’m encouraged to keep pressing into the Lord for His direction to live this motherhood thing well! Thanks so much for the encouragement!
How old is he? I have three daughters and any one of them would be thrilled to have a man who gave them pedicures!
Seriously, though, it sounds like you’re doing a great job, Jennifer. I pray regularly for my daughters’ future husbands–that God would help them to remain pure and faithful to Him above all things. I’m thankful for mothers like you who pour themselves into the young men who will someday marry my precious girls.
This touched my heart in a really blessed way. I am having “one of those days” with my four sons….
Thank you for this reminder.
How precious!!! What a beautiful blessing he is.
Oh, this is such a heartfelt post. I love that he was willing to do that for you. I so get not wanting to mess with other people’s feet.
I also love to see blessing working though teens like this. It reminds us how they really are teachable,in spite of any rebellious stage.
“We shared life for those 30 minutes.” LOVE THIS!
Jen, thank you so much for this! I have two tween boys myself, so this especially touches that place inside that says sweet moments like this can and do happen beyond the preschool years! Thank you so much for this encouragement! It has blessed me today!
Beautiful story, you know that child will be there for you when you need him.
BTW – the ped egg didn’t work so good for me. Made me tootsies sore. Try the Miracle Heel Stick or Heeltastic. Those two items worked wonders this winter on me feets!
Oh how my heart fills joy when I read this. I have a “little” man who is growing up so very fast. He is 12 now and it seems like just yesterday he was my baby!
What a sweet story of Jesus.
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing this with us!