A big SHOUT OUT to all you....

MOTHERS!!!

Yesterday I had to teach the lesson in Relief Society. It was truly such an eye opener and a wonderful experience for me. I dont know if the Lord really wanted me to see and appreciate all that mothers do for their children or if he was preparing me to be a mother, but I do know that I have such a more profound and deep appreciation for the blessing of motherhood. I found a few truly wonderful talks that were given by general authorities and also just information from people's blogs that I found when searching for information about mothering, but the most wonderful quote I found was from the First Presidency many years ago and it said

“Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels."

When I first read that my breath was kind of taken away. It truly is a service that is given to mankind. I think of many of the mothers that I know and my own mother.... My mom is truly the most selfless person I have ever met. Now you are probably reading this and thinking, well all mothers are selfless, but honest, my mother puts EVERYONE before herself. I had an old friend tell me the other day that they missed my mom, I didnt really say anything back I just kind of smiled and he then says this, "I think your mom is the most selfless person I know." I am sure that my face lit up because it is so true. She is simply amazing and beautiful in every way. I hope so much that my children's friends will say to them that I am the most selfless person they know. What a wonderful quality to be known by.

I have another friend who is a mother and I asked her to tell me her experience of motherhood and what she has learned so far being a young mother. Her response literally made me cry during my lesson. I couldn't hold it in because the spirit was so strong and I knew that what she wrote she truly meant. She told me this story about how she and her son were at a basketball game that her husband was coaching at. She let her son wander around and play and she saw him climbing on the bleachers that were pushed back. She yelled to him to get down and of course he obeyed and as he started to descend he slipped and started to fall. He was holding on with one hand screaming for dear life, but little did he know he was only about an inch away from the ground. She told him just to drop, but he didnt trust her and he just kept screaming. SHe then ran to his rescue and helped him down. Well, she then went on to relate this to the Lord giving us trials and just when we are so close to pulling through we ask him for help, and when we ask him he is always there to rescue us, even if we are only an inch away. the very last thing she said was this "After all, He did say 'I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it' and in so many ways that is motherhood. It is definitely not easy being a mother, but it is worth it."

Hearing those words come from the mouth of a mother is so comforting to me. I guess I have these fears that when I do become a mother I wont know what to do and I will do things wrong or I won't be good at it, but one thing gives me comfort and that is knowing that I will always have my Heavenly Father to guide and direct me in raising his sons and daughters. I feel so blessed to have this knowledge and to have the ability to be a mother. I look forward to the day when I can look at my baby and know that he is mine and I am his mother and we are a family. This might sound weird since I dont even have a boyfriend right now haha but I do know that one day I will be a mother and I need to prepare myself now for that calling by strengthening my relationship with the Lord each day, which, when the time comes, will strengthen the relationship between me and my future husband. What a great blessing!