I’m Not a Perfect Mom and that’s Perfectly Okay

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, AMPC)

Daily, I come to grips with the fact that I’m not a perfect mom. I never have been and I never will be. That title died the moment my children were born. I make mistakes all day long. I say the wrong thing, respond in the wrong way, and neglect to use my time wisely. But here’s the thing… God has not called me to be a perfect mom. He has called me to depend on Him with every breath I take and with every day I live. He wants my dependence to be on His perfection. His power is truly made perfect in my weakness and in that I can rejoice. I don’t have to be a perfect mom. I don’t have to have it all together. I know the One who is perfect and I can point my children to Him. Yes, I’ll never be a perfect mom, but I am the perfect mom for my children and so are you.

So as I accept that I’m not the perfect mom, I can laugh at my failures and learn from them. I can look throughout my day and rejoice that God had mercy on me. I’m thankful for the continual grace that my children show me. More than anything I’m thankful that through my weakness, His power is made perfect!

Here are some of my not so perfect mommy moments…

1. I had a lapse in judgment one day. You could say it was from a lack of sleep. That day I gave my 1 year old a packet to eat while we were upstairs. Now on a better day, my mind would have said “that’s not a good idea!” But that day, I was happy to get just 5 minutes to breathe. Ever been there? Well, as you can imagine the packet landed just about everywhere but his mouth. That nice blueberry treat became my nightmare. But I learned a valuable lesson that day, never leave a one year old alone with a blueberry packet of food.
2. One time I had a full size mirror, but it had been on the ground during some rearranging in my room. Well, my 2 year old thought it would be fun to dance on. Thankfully he was not hurt in any way as it was upside down but the mirror did not survive the dance steps.
3. I’ve shown up at my chiropractor’s office without shoes for both boys. That was fun! There we went barefoot into our appointment.
4. I’ve gotten so busy taking care of the boys and making sure they were ready for church that I went without deodorant or perfume. Oh, that’s a fun Sunday for sure!
5. There have been times I waited just a little bit too long on a poopy diaper. Oh the messes that I have cleaned up!

I could share many more mommy bloopers, but I’ll stop here. I bet you have some of your own. I would love to hear them. Remember, we aren’t perfect moms and that’s not what God calls us to be. Relax, trust in the Lord, and let His perfection be made perfect in your weakness. You’ve got this mom! You may never be a perfect mom, but I can guarantee you that you are the perfect mom for your children. As you trust in the Lord and point them to a perfect Father, you can rest assured!

Dear Father God, please help me to always remember that You have not called me to be a perfect mom. There’s no such thing! Even the mother of Jesus was not perfect. I’m sure she had her moments and some of those we see in Your Word. Lord, please help me to relax more, to enjoy the journey, and to allow Your power to be made perfect in my weakness.

Celebrating that I don’t have to be a Perfect Mom,