At 9PM, I sat down after running around for seven hours. Seven–unseen, unnoticed by anyone–hours spent doing what moms do everyday…

Pick up my boys from school. Get snacks for the kids. Help with homework. Put on some laundry. Play a tourney of tether ball. Clean out toys from under my daughter’s bed. Help my daughter with a princess dress and put away three outfits she’s been changing in and out of all afternoon. Water my rare–but neglected–collection of Japanese maples. Read a poem that one of my boys wrote and look over some gorgeous art work brought home from school. Put away laundry and run a few more loads. Get dinner ready. Engage in the ongoing lesson of teaching my kids manners at the dinner table. Clean up after dinner. Get the kids showered/bathed. Teeth brushed. Help them understand (again) how important it is to pick up dirty clothes and not leave wet towels on the bathroom floor. Get the kids in bed. Take a big, deep, satisfying, breath while thinking, busy few hours but job well done!

And that was just the afternoon/evening hours…

When I sat down it was with three pieces of clothing belonging to my daughter that needed repairing, new buttons, etc. I don’t sew very well. Actually, I don’t sew. Sticky tape and staples would be better. But I know my daughter will be super happy and that’s what matters.

Mom is a very undervalued job, or title, or role, whatever you want to call it. If you decide to stay home and be the person who raises your kids, it’s devalued even more–with an assumption you must not be smart enough to do anything else and staying home to raise kids was the only option. NOTHING could be further from the truth.

Mom’s the world over are awesome! The job is massive and unrelenting in its demands of our energy, ability to organize, our patience, love, and time. All of which are given gladly because we love our kids.

Raising kids should be highly valued. It should be seen as one of the most important jobs we can ever have. It’s the ultimate in loving-service to another person.

But it’s not valued. Maybe because it’s service to another. Service is a most unloved word. We would rather be served or at least seem to be someone worthy of being served.

Yet in our service we find greatness in God’s Kingdom. Jesus said, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…Jesus…did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life, Matthew 20:26-28. There is true greatness in being a mom.

He gave His life to set our lives up for success and salvation through Him. Jesus also said, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for another, John 15:13. Mom’s do that every day. Raising kids well requires it. Our job is to love them and set them up for a life of success.

In all those unseen moments of work a mom does, God sees and smiles because mom is giving value to the most precious and vulnerable–children. They are the best gift God gives us, Psalm 127:3 MSG. We shouldn’t really call it work. We should redefine what service or ‘mom work’ means because we gladly give ourselves in love to serve our kids.

I am so grateful for the kids God has given me. Blessed beyond measure. Whether other people value the role I have as mom or not, is irrelevant. God highly values it because He is highly invested in how I raise the little people He has trusted me with.

Moms are awesome!