Don't Despair Mom: He Sees You

I’m writing this post in honor of all the moms out there who have ever wondered — especially on difficult, draining days — “is there a point to all this… this `mothering’? Can anyone see how hard it can be sometimes? Will all this sacrifice and hard work bear any fruit at all?”

To you, dear sweet fellow momma, let me say this (and I’m saying it to myself too, right now):

He sees you.

The God who created the heavens and the earth… sees you creating those meals, day in and day out, for your family.

He sees you.

The God who divided the waters of the Red Sea to save the Israelites… sees you washing those dishes and cleaning those baby butts more times than you’d wish to count.

He sees you.

The God who crafted the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His great promise of love after the Great Flood during Noah’s time… sees you doing your best to be excited about making art and craft projects with your kids — even if you don’t have one artistic bone in your body.

He sees you.

The God who bent down to the earth to save us from our sins… sees you bend down to scrub those floors, to clean those bathrooms, to pick up that clutter.

He sees you.

The God who cried when his friend Lazarus died… sees you cry on those days when a teeny tiny part of you feels like dying — when your children rebel and disobey and break your heart into tiny pieces.

He sees you.

The God who seeks the one lost sheep out of a hundred… sees you seeking the best in yourself and your family, so you can live another day for His glory.

He sees you.

The God who bore the burden of the world’s sins on his shoulders… sees you burdened with worries and pain and trials and sorrows brought about by different circumstances.

He sees you.

The God who suffered, died and rose again to give you and me eternal life… sees your sufferings, sees you dying to yourself and your needs daily, sees and rejoices when you rise again after each parenting fall and failure.

He sees you.

And because He sees you, you need never doubt His plan, His unconditional love, His sufficient grace.

And even if you find yourself doubting it… doubting Him…

He sees you.

And, boy, am I glad He sees me, too.

LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.
If I take the wings of dawn
and dwell beyond the sea,
Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.

You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
— Psalm 139: 1-10; 13-16