Mothering Isn't for the Faint of Heart

Image: anton petukhov / Flickr

No matter your motherhood story, we think you’ll agree: motherhood takes courage. Welcoming a child through pregnancy, adoption, or foster care takes guts. Caring for an infant for the very first time? Some of it is instinct, but some of it is pulling up your big-girl pants and doing the best you know how to do—even when you feel like you don’t know anything at all about caring for your little bundle of joy. Potty training? They should give out medals for that monumental task. And for caring for minor boo-boos or waiting anxiously for important news from a doctor, stroking your teenage daughter’s hair when she doesn’t make the team, or encouraging your frustrated son when he fails his driving test. For healing your child’s broken heart . . . at any age.

This mothering gig is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve been following our Brave Mom series, you’ve read

We hope this series has emboldened your spirit and given you courage for the journey. Now, we invite you to take action on your newfound bravery.

Take the Brave 7-Day Challenge

Mothering in the face of your fears is one of the bravest things you will ever do. We want to celebrate that bravery together. Let’s shine a light on those fears that keep us awake at night. And by bringing them into the light, let’s face and overcome them together.

Join the 7-Day Brave Challenge, inspired by the book Brave Mom: Facing and Overcoming Your Real Mom Fears by MOPS president and CEO Sherry Surratt. We’ll send you seven days of encouraging messages reminding you that you can do this! We’ll suggest challenges you can choose to take on, and you can use the hashtag #BraveMom on social media to share your journey with other brave moms. Share struggles and successes, see how other moms are doing, and get a little nudge when you need it.

The Brave Collective

The Brave Collective is a table movement. It’s an acknowledgment that some of the best, most life-giving moments happen around a table. It is in sharing a meal that hearts are nourished and soul-sisters are born.

Maybe your Collective is about being brave enough to invite people over, or maybe it’s about making new friends. Perhaps you need to talk about the things God is whispering in your ear and invite others to do the same.

There is bravery to live more fully. To do less and be more. To face an avoided obstacle. To reconcile. To hold valiantly to hope. To give voice to those who are diminished. To wear proudly a version of ourselves that we’ve previously hidden. To be kind to ourselves. To listen to our own heart.

The Brave Collective is a movement of women from across the globe choosing to live into their best. Welcome to the table.

Take a deep breath, take stock of your fears, and then? Take courage. God has chosen you—yes, you—to be the mother of your unique child(ren). You have been tasked with one of the most important jobs in the world, and we believe you are brave enough to raise the next generation. Brave one, when you became a mother, you signed on to change the world. Let’s do it together.

To learn more about MOPS or to find a group meeting near you, visit mops.org.

Liz Sagaser is a MOPS International representative and mother of two.

Photo courtesy of anton petukhov / Flickr