Mom's Night Out

Last night my mom and I went to see Mom’s Night Out, and to my surprise, it was so good.
I was expecting it to be a pretty cheesy film, and so I was happily surprised to find myself laughing right out loud and clapping as I couldn’t contain the hilarity at certain points!
I was also just as surprised, if not even more so, to find myself crying at a couple different points in the movie. It’s true I’m easily moved to tears but tonight’s tears were the real deal. When the character Bones is comforting Allyson and he tells her that she’s not a failure. That she is enough. That God knew what he was doing when he gave her her three little kids, my eyes brimmed with tears and they spilled down my cheeks as I felt those words hit me at my core.

It amazes me at how subtle these lies enter into my thoughts and my heart. Lies such as: I’m a wreck and I should have it more together. I’m a good mom and yet a terrible, terrible mom. I’m not enough for these kids. I screw up more often than not. I’m probably scarring my kids for life and they’ll be going to therapy for the rest of their lives because of me. But biggest of all, just as the character Allyson alludes to in the film, ‘I’m just not enough.’

Being a mom, a parent, is exhausting work. It’s endless. 24/7 you’re ‘on’ whether you want to be or not. It demands everything of you and then some. It has you laughing maniacally one minute and sobbing on the hallway floor the next. At times you feel like you’re never gonna make it. That you’re literally going insane. Sleep deprivation, insufficient caloric intake, fried nerves, and lack of self time leads one to think that this is how life will be for the rest of time. It’s overwhelming and absolutely terrifying at times. The words ‘I. Can’t. Do. This. Anymore.’ are uttered more than we’d ever dare to admit.

And yet.

And yet we moms, we parents are enough. Yes, we make mistakes and we lose our temper and wish we could do some moments over again, but the truth is we love our kids, we’d give our all for our kids (and we do). We love them. And they love us. Like really love us. Love-us-so-much-that-they-don’t-want-to-be-apart-from-us-for-more-than-a-few-minutes kind of love. 🙂

We aren’t perfect parents. And we don’t need to be. For if we strive for perfection, then what are we communicating to our children? That we expect them to be perfect too? No. For perfection is impossible.

May we instead show them lives of brokenness being made whole. Weak being made strong. Empty being made full. May we show them a God who is our everything, who loves us as we are, our crazy broken sweet selves. And that he loves them too – just the way they are.

So, Mamas and Daddies, if you can, go watch this movie and have some good laughs. Then come back know knowing you are enough. For God. For your kiddos. For yourself. And may we live lives that show our kids life isn’t about being perfect, but about being loved and living in love.

“…since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” – I John 4:11

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!