What Do I Deserve This Mother's Day?

So I don't like these posts were I just write my thoughts and don't show you a picture of how to do something. It feels awkward to me. But I do have the occasional thought. And sometimes they make sense.

Here's my Mother's Day thoughts for today.

How many of us get caught in a trap of thinking "Mother's Day is MY day! I deserve to be pampered. Have breakfast in bed, dinner out, the kids will behave perfectly, and my husband will make sure to get a most excellent gift. I deserve at least this much. After all I do every day, day after endless day, it's not too much too ask. And nobody better mess it up for me"

Admit it. That's the way we think when Mother's Day rolls around. Or at least I've been guilty of it a time or two.

But I've started looking at this day a little differently. Being a mom is a blessing. And I don't deserve any of those things. Because of my sinful nature, what I DESERVE is death and hell. I know that may sound harsh. But it's truth. Jesus took what I deserve and gave me the greatest gift of all....salvation.

Don't get me wrong. I love gifts and gift giving. It's one of my love languages. I am not saying we should refuse whatever our little darlings have made for us or our husbands have bought for us on their behalf.  What I'm saying is we should change our mindset. Those of us who are mothers should wake up tomorrow saying, "Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a mother!"

Do I always get this right? Of course, not! Allow me to illustrate using this flower.

This is a flower that Katie gave to me . It is a mother's day gift she had made at school. Notice that it is broken. (Also, notice the scripture on the pot. I love that her teacher put that on there!)
Katie thought the flower needed some water, so she removed it from the window sill and the marigold was broken in the process. I found her as she was putting the flower back, and I said to her (quite sarcastically), "Thanks a lot for breaking my flower." And she immediately burst into tears and told me that her feelings were hurt because she broke the flower. Conviction set in. And I told her that the flower wasn't important, and she was my mother's day gift because I wouldn't be a mother if I didn't have her. Now the marigold sets even more proudly on my window sill as a reminder of what my greatest gifts are this Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!