Mothers Day Speech

Intro:

Hello, my name is Lindsey Ramsey, I am 26 years old and the middle child of 3.

I've been married for 5 years to my wonderful husband Corey. 

We have 2 beautiful girls, our 3 year old Evangeline, we call her Evie, but according to her it’s Weevie.

And our 1 year old Adelie, who goes by many names.

Adie, Deedle Dee, Dede, Deeds, Sissy, and Chunky Munk.

I grew up in a Christian home and have been a believer most of my life, but didn’t truly start understanding God’s grace and sovereignty until I got to high school, and since then my faith has really grown.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted kids and dreamed of one day being a mother.

So when the time actually came for me to have children of my own I was extremely excited and optimistic.

Expectations, however, are usually much different than reality.

For example, I always thought I would be this really cool mom who had it all together.

Cute clothes, organized, doing fun activities with my kids, going places like the park, zoo, museum, or library on a daily basis.

However, my experience has been a bit different.

Most of the time I’m either in my pjs or workout clothes, and it’s a good day if we make it out of the house.

My birth experience was also not what I had expected.

Movies are constantly portraying birth and delivery as being quick and with little complications.

The mother's water breaks, they rush to the hospital where she pushes for a minute and then the baby arrives.

Friends and family come to meet the new baby and they all celebrate together.

Yea, that was not the case for me at all.

My 1st pregnancy was during Covid, so everything was a little crazy.

Already being anxious about having my first child, I was now afraid that I would struggle during my delivery and about all the Covid restrictions the hospitals had put in place.

During delivery I was required to wear a mask, (which I threw up in), had to be quarantined in this tiny room, and wasn’t allowed any visitors, not even my mother.

Thankfully, Corey was allowed to be there with me when I had Evie, because I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it alone.

If all that wasn’t enough, I didn’t meet the doctor who was going to deliver my baby until that morning when she walked in and introduced herself.

As she began to examine me, I heard her say, “uh oh”.

These are not the words you want to hear in that moment.

It turns out Evie was breech and coming butt first so i had to have an emergency c-section.

None of this was part of my ideal birth plan.

Somehow, by the grace of God, I was able to get through all of that, and can now look back and laugh about it.

Motherhood has been one of the biggest and most beautiful blessings I could’ve ever imagined, but also one of the most stressful, difficult, and humbling.

Let’s dive in to some of the things I’ve experienced and learned as a mother.

Joys of motherhood

With motherhood comes many joys.

The entertainment factor alone brings joy in abundance.

My girls are always doing and saying the silliest and most random things.

I could watch them all day long.

Another thing that brings joy is being able to use my gifts of: mothering, nurturing, and teaching for the purposes God intended them for.

It's very humbling and sweet when my kids come to me when they're sad, hurt or scared because I am able to make them feel safe.

Or to hear them repeat something that I've taught them.

Every parent longs for the day their kids start saying their first words.

I couldn’t wait, but I was most excited for them to start calling me mama.

It’s crazy how quickly that can become the most annoying word on the planet after they’ve said it for the millionth time.

Things moms easily overlook or forget

As mothers it is easy for our kids to become our worlds.

We start to take pride in them acting as if we created them.

Something I was reminded of while reading Parenting, by Paul David Tripp, is kids are a gift from God, they are not ours.

Psalm 127:3 says “Behold, children are a heritage (or gift) from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward”

Our job is to teach our children who God is, what His will is for their lives, and to constantly be pointing them back to their creator.

Many times I feel I am not adequately serving God, or that I’m wasting my life because I spend most of my time at home,

but I must bear in mind that for this season of life my kids are my mission.

God commands us to teach our children about Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

My husband and I try to saturate our kids in the truth by: singing songs about God, going over catechism questions, reading Bible stories, and praying together.

We do these things frequently, but it can be hard to tell if they’re catching on, until they start repeating things without being asked.

In Evie’s case, We were at a hymn sing one night and the last song we did was the doxology.

Evie got super excited because she actually knew the song, and started singing along.

After the song ended, there was a big silence and Evie yells as loud as she could “PRAISE GOD”.

Which she does every night at home after we finish singing that song before bed.

It was gratifying to see her get so excited singing about God, and just hilarious to hear her shout “PRAISE GOD” at such an appropriate time.

Motherhood Struggles

If you didn’t already know I am not perfect.

I know, it’s hard to believe, I have my struggles just as every mother does.

Finding motivation to get things done has always been a big struggle of mine, and now being a mom I find I have even less energy, time, and drive to do what I need to get done.

It can be difficult to find a motive to get up and keep doing the same mundane things day after day,

and to see the purpose for all of it.

I am also very impatient with my kids.

Most of the time I’m a very calm, patient, and chill person, but my girls have a way of pushing just the right button and making me become this monstrous person I barely recognize.

It’s as if I’m being inconvenienced if they dare disturb me while I’m on my phone or trying to get something done.

Or I snap at them when they don’t listen right away or do something mean to each other.

In these moments I am forgetting the importance of being there for my girls and modeling a Titus 2 women.

Which calls for characteristics such as reverent behavior, teaching what is good, being self-controlled, and being kind.

Not exactly what I’ve been portraying

I try to remember my role in my children's lives is to…keep them alive… and be a good model of a godly woman.

Reflecting on the breadth and depth of my relationships, I start feeling as though I am not discipling as many people as I think God desires.

But then I recognize that my main form of discipleship, in this season, are my girls.

The foundation and relationship I make with my kids now is critical for their future.

Comparing myself to mothers I see around me and on social media is another big one.

I put myself down while I measure my abilities, schedule, or even relationship with my kids to moms who I feel are doing a better job than me.

When we are feeling down or discouraged we must remember to cling to God for our strength and He will get us through.

How am I fostering a relationship with God

Now, how am I fostering a relationship with God amidst all this chaos you may ask?

Well, it is not easy, and I am definitely still working on my Bible plan.

I try to find time every day to read just 1 chapter, and answer a few questions to help me understand the text on a deeper level.

With where I’m at in life right now this is about all I can really do, and that’s ok.

Other simple ways I am fostering a relationship with God is helping my husband co-host a small group of young married couples.

Another way, which made me have to step a bit out of my comfort zone, is I started a book study with some of the younger married women in my church.

The main purpose was to try and build intentional relationships with Christian woman my age, while also accumulating Biblical knowledge.

Ending

Sometimes I feel completely unqualified for the role of mother, but through Gods work in me, I know I am equipped to raise godly children as he has called me to do!

I know this season of life can be extremely difficult and trying at times

but I want to encourage all of you mothers going through it to know that God has equipped us with the tools we need to mother our children well and that he does not give us more than we can handle.

To Him be the glory.

Thank you!