Growing Closer to God {Moms’ Night Out: A Real Life Look}

Editor’s note: Today we have another installment of our Moms’ Night Out: A Real Life Look series, where our writers share how this movie resonated with them, how it touched them where they are right now, how they found a glimpse of the priorities and beauty they sometimes overlook in the midst of the daily grind. Enjoy!

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This film reminds me so much of my life as a young mother.  While these days, I associate more with the character of Sondra trying to navigate the maze of parenting a teenager, I clearly relate to the main character.

As a young mother you are always worried that you are making all kinds of mistakes, you are always exhausted and feel like a failure.  There is always that mom who seems to have it all together and by comparison, your life comes up short.  I thank God for the resilience of children to survive the guinea pig years when we are all trying to figure it out.  I recall on my first outing with my daughter at about three days old, someone asked me for a iaper and I looked at them blankly. Yes, I had forgotten my beautiful, brand new designer diaper bag!  I had to borrow an infant diaper!  Talk about stumbling at the starting line.

You fall asleep standing up and most of us are so adept in our previous working lives, we think, “How hard can it be?”  But until you’re there struggling to survive with little sleep, constantly feeding, doing laundry, and trying to keep the house clean, you find it’s much more than a full time job.  I relate so much the need to feel like a grown up and get out and have a lovely dinner at a restaurant with friends.  Like Sean, my husband too was supportive, but as a mom we find ourselves suspect of even our husbands, knowing full well no one can care for our little ones as well as we can.  So although we are desperate and need to unplug and have a few laughs, when we do, the guilt sets in.

I think most mothers in any stage of life will relate to the movie Moms' Night Out quite well.  As young parents we second-guess ourselves and feel that every decision is life or death. When you’ve been at a little bit, like the Pastor and his wife, you are comfortable in your own skin and are sure in your decisions with regard to raising your children.

When Sondra thanked Allison and shared that it was the first time in five years someone had invited her out; that tugged at my heart.  Often young mothers assume that older mothers might have nothing in common with them or that a pastor’s wife might be too perfect.  I felt the movie showed the vulnerability of all stages of parenting and how the best thing in parenting as in life is to accept oneself and do your best.

I believe that, as Allison came to realize at the end of the film, my role as a mother has brought me closer to God and taught me to trust Him more, especially with my children.  I thought as a young mother I could control everything and keep my children in a bubble.  Having children forces you to realize that control is just an illusion and that in the end, leaving it all in God’s hands is the only true choice we ever have.

Tune in tomorrow for another installment of our Moms' Night Out: A Real Life Look series!

Copyright 2014, Maureen O'Shea