Mismatched Mothering

 "It was possible that I could stop assuming that no one could handle the whole mess of me and gift them a chance to surprise me instead." The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson

I showed up at church this morning with two different shoes on.

Perhaps worse is that I did not realize it until AFTER the service and my class was over.

We all know how that happens right?

I put on two different shoes to try to decide which one I liked best.

I walked into my living room to get a second opinion.

Then kid #1 needed to be reminded (again) to turn off the computer and put on her shoes. Kid #2 wanted to give me his mother's day present (let's all say "awww"). The dog jumped on me. The husband had a question.

Oh no - we are LATE.

I grab my hot tea, my granola bar, my morning meds and jump in the car.

At church, we greet new friends. I wait for kid #2 who wanted to church with me for Mother's Day (let's say "aww" again).

I open my hands in praise and prayer.

It's only after all the missions of the morning that I realize my shoes do not match.

Like not a slight not match - like two totally different shoes.

I had to laugh.

Because just because it's Mother's Day doesn't mean that less mothering happened right?

This morning in church we talked about the idea of having a mission.

Our family has a mission statement hanging in my kitchen.

"We will : be authentic, be encouraging, be thankful, and be intentional."

Each of those is flushed out with a Bible verse but the "be" statements are the actions.

Someone mentioned in class that if you don't know where you're going, you'll get on any bus.

And you might not end up where you want to be.

As I walked around today in my mismatched shoes, I realized it's often easy in life to forget the mission.

Easy to get on the wrong bus.

Was the mission this morning to put on two matching shoes or to be present for the people in front of me?

Shifts how you view the mismatched shoes when asked that way right?

Those mismatched shoes could have made me feel bad about myself.

But instead I stood proudly in Publix after church because to me they reminded me that I chose to be present with those in front of me- even if it meant I arrived at church in two different shoes.

Sometimes I think we're not willing to walk around in two different shoes because we've lost sight of the mission.

Mama Warriors, the noisy world can often make us forget our mission.

I'd wager the most important piece of mothering is connection.

Connection is time consuming. Easy to be distracted from.

I encourage you to remember today that your mothering isn't measured by the way people show up today. Regardless of what social media standards say.

Your mothering is measured by YOUR mission.

And sometimes by mismatched shoes.