This past weekend, I had a nice Mother\u2019s Day.\u00a0\u00a0 My daughter gave me some very thoughtful gifts and made me feel appreciated.\u00a0 She and I have a very close relationship, and I feel incredibly blessed to be her mother.<\/p>\n
However, while I like Mother\u2019s Day, and all the niceties that go with it, there is something about it that makes me a little bit uncomfortable. I don\u2019t care for the blanket sanctification of anyone who has happened to give birth. In the same way, I don\u2019t care for making an enormous deal out of weddings.\u00a0 Getting married and giving birth are exciting, but accomplishing either one really isn\u2019t a big deal.<\/p>\n
What is<\/em> a big deal is showing up after those big moments. Showing up is hard.\u00a0 If you have been married or a parent for any length of time, there have been days when you just wanted to get a break.\u00a0 And on some days you can.\u00a0 You can go to Starbucks, sit alone, have a chai tea latte and experience a moment of Zen.\u00a0 But on some days, you can\u2019t.\u00a0 Some days you just have to forge through and go to sleep exhausted.\u00a0 Showing up on the hard days is what makes a good parent, spouse, employee, or friend.<\/p>\n There are some people who don\u2019t ever show up. Or they stop showing up.\u00a0 Or when they do show up, they create a lot of havoc.\u00a0 And those people get a lot of attention.\u00a0 People are always obsessed about the parent who disappeared.\u00a0 Or the spouse who left.\u00a0 Or the family member who created a lot of drama at every turn.\u00a0 And the people who consistently show up, those who are dependable and responsible, are all but ignored.<\/p>\n The reality is that showing up isn\u2019t going to get you a lot of applause or appreciation. Recently my husband and I were very generous with both our time and money with a family member, and there wasn\u2019t so much as a \u201cthank you.\u201d\u00a0 Quite honestly, we didn’t anticipate getting one, nor was that our motivation.\u00a0 We showed up and helped out because it was the right thing to do.\u00a0 And we will continue to do that, whether or not our efforts are acknowledged or appreciated.<\/p>\n We are called to show up because God is our role model in all things. God is with us at all times.\u00a0 Even when things are hard, if we turn to Him, He is there to help us.\u00a0 He does not leave us.\u00a0 If we wish to be like Him, then we need to exhibit that kind of loyalty and faithfulness in our own relationships.<\/p>\n There is a beautiful hymn entitled, \u201cGreat Is Thy Faithfulness,\u201d which reminds me of God\u2019s unceasing love for us. Part of the lyrics are,<\/p>\n Great is Thy faithfulness,\u201d O God my Father, This week, think about those people who have been faithful to you. Thank them for showing up, even when they didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 Thank them for going the extra mile for you, even when you may not have deserved it.<\/p>\n Spend time meditating on God\u2019s faithfulness. He is our greatest example of how we can be steadfast and loyal to others.\u00a0 Remember that when we show up for others, we are learning to be like Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This past weekend, I had a nice Mother\u2019s Day.\u00a0\u00a0 My daughter gave me some very thoughtful gifts and made me feel appreciated.\u00a0 She and I have a very close relationship, and I feel incredibly blessed to be her mother. However, while I like Mother\u2019s Day, and all the niceties that go with it, there is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThere is no shadow of turning with Thee;
\nThou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
\nAs Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.<\/p>\n