Not That Mom

What My Children Have Taught Me

There was a time in my life when I searched endlessly for my purpose.

I think most of us do at some point. We wonder why we’re here, what we’re meant to do, and whether we’re making the impact God intended for us to make.

I remember telling my husband years ago that I felt called to be a mother. I felt deep in my soul that God had placed that desire on my heart. When getting pregnant didn’t happen as quickly as I had hoped, I started questioning everything. Was I wrong? Was I being impatient? Was motherhood really part of God’s plan for me?

Looking back now, I realize I was trying to control God’s timing instead of trusting it.

As hard as it can be, sometimes we simply need to let go and let God.

Today, as a wife, mother of four, Regional Property Manager, homesteader, and woman of faith, I can confidently say that some of life’s greatest lessons have come from the tiny humans God entrusted to me.

For so many years, I thought motherhood was about what I would teach my children.

What I didn’t realize was how much they would teach me.

They Taught Me What Love Really Looks Like

Before becoming a mother, I thought I understood love.

I didn’t.

My children showed me a depth of love I never knew existed. They taught me that love isn’t found in perfection. It’s found in showing up every day. It’s found in the sleepless nights, the endless laundry, the packed lunches, the hugs after hard days, and the countless moments that seem ordinary but become the memories we cherish most.

My children have seen me at my best and at my worst.

They’ve heard me sing off-key, watched me burn dinner, listened to me apologize when I was wrong, and witnessed every imperfect version of myself.

And somehow, they love me anyway.

That kind of love changes a person.

Their unconditional love reminds me daily of God’s love for us.

They Taught Me to See Myself Differently

Motherhood changes your body.

There is no way around it.

Stretch marks, scars, sleepless nights, gray hairs, and all the physical reminders of carrying and raising children become part of your story.

I remember standing in front of a mirror after giving birth and studying every change. Every mark. Every imperfection. Every sign that my body wasn’t the same as it once was.

Then I looked at the tiny miracle sleeping nearby.

Suddenly, those “imperfections” looked different.

Those stretch marks weren’t flaws.

They were evidence.

Evidence of life.

Evidence of sacrifice.

Evidence of a body that God designed to nurture, protect, and grow His precious creations.

As mothers, we spend so much time focusing on what we’ve lost that we forget to celebrate what we’ve gained.

Our bodies may not look the same, but they have accomplished something remarkable.

They Taught Me That Perfection Was Never the Goal

One of the greatest lessons motherhood has taught me is that perfection was never the assignment.

For years I worried that every challenge my children faced somehow meant I wasn’t doing enough.

If they struggled, I questioned myself.

If they cried, I blamed myself.

If things didn’t go according to plan, I assumed I had failed.

But motherhood isn’t about creating a perfect life.

It’s about faithfully walking beside our children as they discover their own purpose, their own gifts, and their own relationship with God.

Their journey belongs to them.

My role is to guide, support, pray, and love them through it.

The Gift They Continue to Give Me

Now, years later, I look around at our beautiful, chaotic life.

Four children.

A farm full of animals.

A growing garden.

A busy career.

A house that is rarely quiet.

And a heart that is fuller than I ever imagined possible.

Every one of my children has taught me something different.

They’ve taught me patience.

They’ve taught me humility.

They’ve taught me resilience.

They’ve taught me how to laugh at myself.

Most importantly, they’ve taught me to trust God more deeply than I ever thought possible.

I once believed my purpose was to become a mother.

Now I realize motherhood wasn’t my destination—it was part of God’s process.

Through my children, He has shaped me, refined me, stretched me, and drawn me closer to Him.

For that, I will always be grateful.

To every mother reading this: You don’t have to be perfect.

You don’t have to have all the answers.

You don’t have to look like the moms on social media.

You simply have to keep showing up.

Love your children.

Trust God.

Give yourself grace.

And remember that while you’re busy raising your children, they’re helping shape the woman God created you to be.

That may be one of motherhood’s greatest gifts.