Mothers and Mustard Seeds

Today I'm feeling a little melancholy. Actually it's more the pain I have had in a tooth for over a week now. I'm trying everything to treat it without going to the dentist. (Way deep inside my head I'm thinking root canal, but I won't say that outloud!) Often when we have pain, it causes us to think deeply about issues under the surface. Even though there's so many other things out there in the world that I want to comment on, my mind refuses to focus on them long enough to put the thoughts together.

So, let's talk about mothers and mustard seeds. I'm referring to the passage in the Bible where Christ is telling his disciples that faith, even as small as a mustard seed (and that's small) can move mountains and see incredible things come to pass! (Matthew 17:20) (I think I'll claim the mustard seed faith for this aching tooth!) Also, back a few chapters is the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13) describing how the kingdom of heaven will start with just a small seed, but grow large, very large --

Mothering holds the same principle. We start with something very small, a tiny baby helpless and dependent on us, and we begin to nurture them, feed them, teach them, and believe in them. In my case, twenty-two years later, nineteen years later, and fifteen years later I look up and find these incredible, amazing, young ladies that seemingly came out of nowhere! But, I, being one of those things called a "mother" know that it didn't just happen overnight. I was there for almost every living, breathing moment. The metamorphosing (probably not a word, but you know what I mean) of a small, helpless infant into a interdependent, unique young adult is nothing more than amazing!

But it takes a lot of faith just like the principles taught in the book of Matthew about the tiny mustard seed. There are numerous times when I have to admit that I floundered in my faith for what my girls could become. But those feelings never lasted long. Motherhood in itself is a remedy for that. I am, by nature and choice, my daughters number ONE fan!

A mother's faith in a child is not in what we can see (that would be awfully defeating and depressing at times - particularly while they are in the twos and the teens), but in the persons that we believe our children will become. Our love, our prayers, our lives are wrapped up in helping that faith come to fruition!

A mother's love, a mother's faith in a child can make all the difference in the world. It frees a child to actually take those first step into adulthood with a certainty that defies nature and gravity! And it's quite the thing to watch!

Just last week all three of my girls were sitting around the coffee table talking about the days of their childhood. I pressed myself to be still and quiet and just listened. As a mother, it is natural to have doubts about the efficacy of our role and we can't help wondering if it is seen in a positive light by our children as they look back.

I must tell you that it's all I could do not to whoop it up, shout, cry, dance, and generally do a good old "boogie" dance as I was listening to them. Though they talked about some of the things that were hard as we were going through them, it was the lessons, the memories, the principles gained, the love cherished that won out in the end!

So, on the doorsteps of another Mother's Day, I want to tell my children to hold off on the presents and breakfast in bed for me. I am so honored and privileged to have three wonderful daughters that has grown from tiny little mustard seeds into beautiful thriving plants that I have no doubt can storm the testings of this life!

But on second thought, I'll just let them do the breakfast in bed thing 'cause they love doing it (don't they?) and if they want to get me a gift, it's okay, but how do I tell them that it can't measure up to the gift I receive each time I look deep into their eyes!

Keep watering those seeds. Don't give up. Never lose faith. The watering, the tending, the pruning, the plucking, the nurturing is worth it all in the end!