Sixteen Months of Motherhood

Mother's Day means many things to many people. For some, it is joyous, for others it is heartbreaking. For some, it may be stressful, and for some it may be the highlight of their year. In church life and community, we will have individuals walking through each of these seasons and so in the midst of whatever Mother's Day means to you, we want to acknowledge that we see you and we are here for you.

I was on maternity leave last year and still in the thick of the "newborn stage," so in a lot of ways, this year feels like my first Mother's Day experience. It has been over a year now; we have walked through a few seasons and challenges, and I have a bit more of an idea of what motherhood encompasses.

And so, to start, I wanted to share with you five main takeaways I have from the last sixteen months:

1. Sleep became the most valuable commodity known to humankind. In those early days I was so desperate for it that I would have traded my car, my dog, and possibly my house for even four hours of uninterrupted sleep.
2. Light coloured clothes become literal magnets that attracted any number of baby fluids. "See you never!" white linen shirt I used to love.
3. My hearing became supersonic; I can somehow detect the difference between my baby laying in her crib crying versus her standing in her crib crying.
4. At 3AM when no one is sleeping and everyone is crying, it is important to remember that no one is "right" at that moment and to keep all helpful pieces of advice to yourself.
5. "No" means absolutely nothing to a determined and rage-filled toddler who is intent on feeding the dog her last piece of cheese.

In all seriousness, motherhood has been quite an adventure. Many of you know the story of how Jayne made her way into the world, so I will not get into the details again (but you can listen to this podcast if you want to hear more!) but it was not straightforward, it was not good, and it was quite traumatic. Because of this, it took me several months to get my footing with motherhood. We overcame many challenges, both physical and emotional, and I think we are better for it now. Jayne is a ball of energy; she loves everyone she meets, and there is not a single piece of furniture, bathtub, or stroller she can't scale while you have your back turned. She has a zest for life that she just seems to have been born with.

As I write this, I am working from home, as Jayne has been sick this week. Just this morning, I texted a co-worker saying, "Another sick day. Kids really aren't great for productivity." This really got me thinking for the rest of the day. No, kids really aren't great for productivity in the "getting tasks done" sense of productivity. But I don't really think that they are supposed to be. Kids are great, however, for shaping your character, sharpening your beliefs, exposing your values, and mirroring back your patience (or lack thereof).

It got me thinking about how this is sometimes what our faith or walks with God may feel like. Sometimes it might not feel like your faith is "productive" in the sense that you are growing and changing and maturing on a linear trajectory that only goes up. But sometimes there are seasons where you are being shaped, refined, and redefined. Seasons where challenges and hardships show you what your values are and where your hope lies.

Life does not function on a neat and tidy linear trajectory that only goes up, our faith does not always grow in a predictable linear trajectory, and motherhood is no different. These are journeys that through the grace of God we get to experience and share with one another.

May you be encouraged this Mother's Day, may you feel loved, may you be held, and may you remember that the brand new water bottle your kid just threw in the toilet is just a water bottle. It can be washed and everyone is going to be okay.

Church Family