Dear Mama…
I know—sharpened pencils and crisp books tease. Maybe this year we can do all the things and with happy hearts!
Experiments and reports.
Poetry tea time with homemade muffins.
Then history haunts us with our dark moments.
Whether at home, at school, or some new hybrid:
Impatience blending letter sounds,
frustration long dividing,
confusion logging in and
despair sopping up toddler disasters or a teen’s tears...
And will our old readers, new shoes and overflowing minivans make it through the year?
Will I make it another year, in a world spinning with uncertainty?
Intricate or obsolete, forget about comparing craft time or lunchbox creations, because the prized craft is you in the potter's hands dear mama.
You—doing school drop off with a messy bun before you rush to work.
You—welcoming children with eyes that shine the smile hidden behind your mask.
You—teaching Math in your yoga pants while nursing your baby.
It's when you lay down accolade for connection that this world starts making sense.
Your twinkling eyes, unmasked belly laughs and freely shared hugs remind us we are safe in your soft arms.
Yes PB&J's will suffice if gourmet is in the gathering.
Because this virus distanced world needs mamas in every corner to give small, slow and steady gifts each day, to a big, fast and shaky world!
Burp the babies and high-five the teenagers.
Tie the ponytails and lace the shoes.
Loosen knots and heartstrings.
Make rows of beds and towers of sandwiches.
Set up smart boards and photocopy worksheets.
Unlock mistakes and cushion heartbreak.
In the early yawns of the morning, she positions herself for new mercies and waits.
Her broken parts melt with one glance into His fiery eyes and He whispers:
Dear mama…
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
And when she begins each day by throwing herself into her Father's arms, she offers more than the world to her babies or students!
So we prepare school rooms with maps and pencil sharpeners, or fill backpacks with hand sanitizer and masks, knowing we don’t have to do ‘all the things’ or figure out how this spinning world is going to slow down.
We just need to keep company with the One who knows our fears, anxieties, and struggles, and wants to comfort us—as a mother comforts her child.
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