Wouldn’t it be amazing if…

Have you seen this Olympic commercial by Proctor & Gamble? If not, PLEASE watch it here…worth the 2:02 minutes.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScs_qX2Okk?rel=0]

 “The hardest job in the world, is the best job in the world.”

So good, right? I cry every. single. time I watch it.

I cry because I know how mundane and repetitive and exhausting motherhood can be. Yet I cook breakfast, fold laundry, take children to practices, because I love my children and want the best for them. I also cry because the commercial portrays the end result of hard work. It fulfills my longing for my boys to “turn out well”.

Of course it would be AWESOME to be the mom in the stands at the Olympics watching MY son win a gold, silver, heck, even a bronze medal. To know that my efforts paid off. All that time & energy was not wasted. All my faults & mistakes did not ruin his future.

And yet…is becoming an Olympic athlete the ultimate goal for my boys? It would be incredible BUT my heart longs for deeper, higher, more eternal things. If I had the time & resources I would produce my own commercial…the God-centered mom version.

God Centered Mom Commercial…

The commercial would open with a mom waking up at 6 am. The house quiet as she makes her coffee. Settling into her favorite chair, a dim lamp illuminating her Bible, she bows her head in prayer. Prayers of forgiveness for mistakes made the day before. Prayers of praise for a big God who sees her. Prayers of gratitude for all the blessings she has been given. Prayers for her husband & her sons…that they may hunger & thirst for righteousness.

I picture video clips of a mother & her children making a meal and delivering it to a new mom. Or volunteering at a local shelter serving meals to the homeless. Or simply taking a walk and visiting with the neighbor who lives alone and is desperate for community.

A mom driving in the car praising God with her kids…singing along to their favorite Seeds family worship CD. Conversations arise about Christ’s love for us.  Then an ambulance drives by and the oldest son suggests praying for the injured inside.

Perhaps a scene in which a son skins his knee. The mother kisses his forehead. Unwraps and applies the band-aid. A simple act, as Christ’s hands here on earth serving her son. A mom cooking dinner while boys argue, baby cries, food burns…she turns her eyes to heaven seeking His Spirit, seeking peace & patience in the midst of chaos.

Then the family gathers at the table. Bowing heads in thanks before eating. Discussing Scripture together. Sharing highlights & lowlights of God’s hand in their days.

Closing scene: a mother kneeling by her son’s bed. Softly and tenderly she brushes back his hair with her hand. He asks questions about sin, Christ’s sacrifice for him, a desire to acknowledge his belief. The mother places her hands on either side of her son’s folded hands and together they pray. Pray to acknowledge his separation from God, to thank Christ for the gift of grace, to desire to live a life spent glorifying his Heavenly Father.

Then simply this:

 The mundane tasks, the countless hours, the effort, the planning…it’s all worth for our children’s souls. Ultimately salvation is of the Lord’s but we are still modeling a life in which God is center. The rest is in God’s hands. When we see our Heavenly Father face-to-face we can be confident to hear more than “thank you”…we will hear “Well done, good & faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23).

To all the mothers who desire to relentlessly replace “me” with “He”, who offer love & grace delicately balanced with truth to their children, who are doing the best they can for His glory…Happy Mother’s Day!