3 Reasons Why A Mom's Work Is Worth It
Meet Parker King
Parker King is a writer by day and an English instructor by night with a heart for penning words that connect people to God and each other. When she isn’t typing, you can find her writing worship songs, camping in the Smokies, cheering on the Clemson Tigers, finding new music, or laughing with friends and family.
I absolutely love this quote from Samuel Taylor Coleridge because it’s the sweetest and most fitting portrayal of my mother’s loving guidance I can imagine.
Godly motherhood is a high calling, and it isn’t always an easy one. Over the last 25 years, my mom has exhibited sacrifice, dedication, friendship, kindness, and a love so faithful and enduring, like a soft light drawing my heart closer to my heavenly Father’s.
What higher calling is there than that?
I say all of this both to honor my mother and her impact in my life and to encourage all of you hard working moms that your dedication to your kids is oh so worth it. While I’m aware everyone’s stories are different and some relationships are rockier than ours, today I want to share three reasons my own mom’s work as a mother is worth it.
#1: Because Her Words of Encouragement Are Not Forgotten
You know those moments when you feel utterly defeated, hurt, or confused, and you pick up the phone for some much-needed encouragement from your mom?
I experienced one of those moments my freshman year of college, where a semester of (literal) failed attempts and a hatred of chemistry had me questioning my major and the career I had mapped out.
I was miserable, dreading the next 8 years of school and the lifetime of pharmacy that would follow. At the same time, I was completely enamored with English and the idea of writing professionally. I spent hours praying about the decision, anxiously awaiting the conversation with my parents and feeling like a disappointment taking the easy way out. I had also read the articles, heard the jokes, and seen the memes about English majors struggling to make ends meet or actually use their degree in any meaningful way. So with a heavy heart, I ventured into the first week of spring semester as planned, weighted with anxiety, all the while feeling that I needed to change my major.
Then something beautiful happened. My mom called me before I even put into words the dream stirring in my heart. In the moment I needed it most, she gave nothing but gracious encouragement and loving advice to pursue God’s calling and to do what I love, even if that path was laced with uncertainty. In that tear-filled phone call, I was released from my anxiety, emboldened to follow God’s calling, and reminded that I can always approach my mom with anything.
In every season of life, through highs and lows, I’ve had a cheerleader in my corner, and it has made all the difference. Her edifying words aren’t forgotten, and they’ve made me the person I am today.
#2: Because She Is Helping Shape My Faith
I was fortunate to grow up in a godly home where I was exposed to the Gospel and met Jesus at a young age. Shortly after my younger brother was born, my mom made the decision to return to school to get her nursing degree. Over the years, she and my dad have worked tirelessly to provide for us, sacrificing to put us both through Christian school. But I’ve learned about more than hard work and sacrifice from her profession.
So often we talk about loving people as Christ loves us, of caring for the penniless, the widow, and the orphan. In other words, not just the individuals who are easy to serve or the ones we think deserve our attention somehow.
I’ve gotten to witness the self-sacrificing love of Christ through my mom’s career. I’ve seen her tearfully pray for patients, carrying the weight of their struggles home with her. She cares for the destitute, the broken, and the lost with such tender compassion that I am challenged to do the same. Rather than checking off the boxes to meet the minimum, she devotes herself to her patients and their families’ needs. More than that, she shares the Gospel with them. My mom reminds me that whatever your professional field is, it is ultimately a mission field.
Moms, how you live out your faith, right down to the way you interact with others, is helping shape your child’s relationship with God and the people he puts in their path.
Studies show that millennials are walking away from the church when they leave home and enter adulthood, and I understand why. When you venture to college or enter the workforce, “I’m a Christian because I grew up in church and my parents are Christians” doesn’t hold. My parents always taught me to know my identity in Christ and to understand why I believe what I believe, which helped me to stand securely in my faith when I left home.
Talking to your kids about Christ, encouraging them to ask questions about their faith, and truly living out your walk with him makes more of an impact in your child’s life than you know.
#3: Because She’s Taught Me to Cherish What Matters
I love Christmas, partly because my birthday is December 27, partly for the music and movies and gifts and lights, but mostly for what it represents. As we gather to celebrate Christ’s birth, we also celebrate the family he’s given us.
My mom has taught me, amidst all the hustle and bustle that accompany the holidays, to slow down and cherish our time together as a family, whether we’re exploring new places or sitting on the couch watching Elf for the hundredth time. She has instilled a love and appreciation for family, traditions, and coming home, blessings that are all too easy to take for granted. And through her own marriage and advice, my mom has taught me that my heart is worth cherishing, that a godly man is worth waiting for, and that a family founded on Christ is worth everything.
If you’re a mother, thank you! Take heart in knowing how valuable and valued you are, whether you’re struggling through sleepless nights with a newborn, battling a toddler’s temper tantrums, or reigning in a rebellious teenager. Whatever stage of life you’re in, whatever you’re doing for your kids, your work is crucial.
In describing the virtuous woman, Proverbs 31 says, “her children rise up and call her blessed.”
If you’re a son or a daughter of a sweet mom like mine, cherish her, thank her, and count her among your blessings this holiday season.
© 2018 Parker King. All rights reserved
More Encouragement for Moms
Are you a new mom who is struggling with motherhood? Whether you’re just having a hard day (or week), or possibly struggling with anxiety or postpartum, I have a super-encouraging podcast for you! Check out my Overcoming Monday Podcast Episode 30: Mothering with postpartum and Anxiety with Zach and Ashely Dickson from Hopetown. We know that postpartum, depression and anxiety is real for moms, and we also know it can feel shameful to talk about. So we created this episode for you moms who need a people who can relate and encourage you in your difficult circumstance!
