Invisible Mom

A friend shared the following email with me the other day and boy can I relate... some days more than others! But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the world! Afterall, I'm sure I was no different as I was growing up. Our boys demand my attention all the time, every minute of the day... even when they are not at home. Each day there is a list of things a mile long that I need or want to do for them. Things such as laundry, picking up toys, fixing broken toys, helping with homework, finding missing socks, making up beds, preparing snacks and meals, buying yet another gallon of milk, reading a favorite book AGAIN, recording favorite tv shows, hosting friends, taking them to practices and parties, reminding them to do this and do that, and the list goes on an on. But, invisible or not, I wouldn't change a thing! They are simply little boys being little boys, young boys learning to become young men. God has entrusted us with these little lives to mold and shape into the image of Jesus. I just hope and pray that I am setting an example that will one day lead them to a loving relationship with Him. I fail everyday numerous times, but I try. And if I am invisible sometimes along the way, that's okay. I am called to be a servant, even in my own home. I'm sure Jesus felt invisible many times during his life on earth as well.

INVISIBLE MOM One of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweepingthe floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can seeme at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clockto ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number isthe Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?,What's for dinner?'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyesthat studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappearedinto the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going,she's gone!One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of afriend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and shewas going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not tocompare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when sheturned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought youthis.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactlysure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admirationfor the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discoverwhat would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I couldpattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we haveno record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for awork they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices andexpected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by theirfaith that the eyes of God saw everything.A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit thecathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny birdon the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are youspending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered bythe roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because Godsees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almostas if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices youmake every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you'vebaked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me tonotice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't seeright now what it will become.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one ofthe people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to workon something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book wentso far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetimebecause there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he'sbringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in themorning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built amonument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if thereis anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love itthere...'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we'redoing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to theworld by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did.The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protectyou.To all the wonderful mothers out there!! God bless and keep you.