Have you ever had so much drama start your day that you just wanted to crawl under the covers and go back to sleep? I had one such memorable morning about two years ago:

I wake up excited because no one else is stirring yet, which means I might actually get in some quiet time. I sit on a bar stool at the kitchen counter and open my Bible. I take a deep breath and start reading. Moments later, I hear my two-year scampering down the hall.

“Good morning, Mommy!” he says, holding his blanket and stuffed kitten.

He passes by my chair and I smell it. Just the aroma I wanted to start the day—poop in the training pants. I groan and head down the hallway for an early-morning clean up.

I walk back to the kitchen where my kindergartner awaits me at the kitchen table.

“Mommy, can I have Rice Krispies for breakfast?” she asks.

I pour the cereal and milk and place it in front of her. Instead of a thank you, I get an insult.

“Mommy, I said I wanted Lucky Charms!” she yells.

Before I have a chance to address her attitude, two-year-old then pees in his underwear all over the floor. Yay! Another mess to clean up.

I walk back to the kitchen to pack lunches. While pulling items out of the refrigerator, I look up and see two-year-old throwing a cup of water on his sister, who momentarily stops yelling at me to yell at him. I referee the fight and unroll paper towels to sop up yet another mess. (Just an aside, whoever invented paper towels must have been a mother.)

There’s no time to fix lunch, so kindergartner will have to buy it at school. But of course, I remember that she has no money on her lunch account.

I sit at the computer to add money when I hear screaming. I rush back into the kitchen and find two-year-old’s bowl and Lucky Charms strewn all over the floor.

“Mommy, they’re for Jakey,” he says, pointing to our Labrador who’s voraciously licking the floor.

I sigh. Could he not have just traded bowls with his sister?

Husband walks in, asks about a stack of papers and then snaps at me because he can’t find them.

In a flash, husband and kindergartner are out the door and I cry. I cry because I’m tired of being the one who always cleans up the messes. Poop, pee, water, spilled cereal, missing papers and hurt feelings had comprised my morning wake-up call. I look around and dishes are overflowing from the sink, a pile of laundry is on the couch waiting to be folded and groceries purchased yesterday are still on the counter.

I’m overwhelmed. Who will clean these? Me. Me. Me—Mommy the Maid, Mommy the Servant Girl. I often feel more like these than whoever I am or was deep inside. Who remembers Mommy and her feelings? No one. No one. No one.

Later while brushing my teeth, two verses pop into my head:

“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be your slave  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  – Matthew 20:26-28 NIV

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:12 NIV

I realize that perhaps God calls us moms to clean up these messes, not because we’re the least, but because we’re great in His eyes. Perhaps it’s because we are favored that we get to clean up the diapers, spilled milk and cereal. Could it be an honor to be the servant—to get opportunities every day to be like Jesus?

In all my meeting the needs of others, perhaps my needs are being met. My desire to nurture, organize and love. Perhaps it’s just not at all what I thought it would look like—but it sure is a lot of what I always wanted. A husband to love, babies to raise and a house to keep.

I ask myself the same questions again: Who will clean these messes? Me. Me. Me. Who remembers Mommy and her feelings? Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. 

Connect With Andrea –

Her blog: www.andreafortenberry.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/andreabfortenberry

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/afortenberry

 

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Suggested Book Selection From Lisa Brown Creator Of This Blog – Me Too Moments For Moms – Affiliated With Amazon

“Often the biggest obstacle to living out our faith is our own doubt–about our worth, our abilities, our relationship with God, and situations in our lives. A Confident Heart gives voice to the questions, doubts, struggles, and hopes so many women have. Author Renee Swope shows us how to identify, overcome, and learn from our self-doubts so that we can live confidently in God’s assurance, truth, and grace. Perfect for women’s small groups or individuals, A Confident Heart is an authentic, insight-filled and encouraging message for any woman who wants to exchange defeating thought patterns with biblical truth that will transform the way she thinks, feels, and lives.”    A Confident Heart

 

 

“Bestselling author and popular blogger offers an inspiring vision that art is what happens when welive like we are actually alive, blessing God and others in the process.”    A Million Little Ways:…

 

Desperate is for those who love their children to the depths of their souls but who have also curled up under their covers, fighting back tears, and begging God for help. It’s for those who have ever wondered what happened to all their ideals for what having children would be like. For those who have ever felt like all the “experts” have clearly never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood.

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

 

“Read the Wall Street Journal bestselling book that has helped close to 100,000 women embrace who they are and become all they’re created to be. 

With this heart-to-heart message, licensed counselor and certified life coach Holley Gerth invites you to embrace one very important truth–that you truly are already amazing. Like a trusted friend, Holley gently shows you how to forget the lies and expectations the world feeds you and instead believe that God loves you and has even bigger plans for your life than you’ve even imagined. 

“This is a book for every woman who needs to find her way back to hope, Jesus, and everything she was made to be in Christ. Holley Gerth is a fresh voice for every woman–she echoes the voice of our Father.” – Ann Voskamp, New York Times bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts ”            You’re Already Amazing

 

“Because Motherhood Isn’t Just a Job. It’s a Calling.

A mother’s day is packed with a multitude of tasks that require energy and time: preparing meals, washing clothes, straightening and cleaning the house, and caring for children. These jobs all are necessary and crucially important. But in the dailyness of providing for a child’ s physical, emotional, and social needs, vital opportunities for spiritual nurture and training can be overlooked.

This doesn’t have to be the case. You can focus your energy on what matters most. Learn how you can:

• Make Life’s Mundane and Nitty-Gritty Moments Work for You and Not Against You.

• Discover Ways to Make Character-Building a Natural Part of Live.

• Teach Your Child in the Same Way Jesus Taught the Disciples.

• Pass on Crucial Gifts that Will Serve Your Family for a Lifetime.

Using biblical wisdom and practical teachings, Sally Clarkson shows how you can make a lasting difference in your child’s life by following the pattern Christ set with his own disciples–a model that will inspire and equip you to intentionally embrace the rewarding, desperately needed, and immeasurably valuable Ministry of Motherhood.”
The Ministry of Motherhood