What Happened to Queen for a Day?: Reflections on Mother's Day

So on Sunday, as I grumbled and complained not-so-under-my-breath, my husband said, and “Are you always going to be in a bad mood on Mother’s Day? You did this last year, too.”

And it made me think. Why, on the one day of the year that is supposed to make me feel appreciated, affirmed, and fulfilled, was I angry and annoyed? Again??

Obviously I anticipated being treated like a queen for a day. Or maybe even a whole weekend. I mean, is it too much too expect to be waited on hand and foot by my husband, served and doted on by my perfect, well-behaved, compliant children (who, incidentally, get along well all day and don’t fight),  have everything done for me and do nothing I don’t want to do, for at least one entire day? Not to mention presents. I am a mother, after all, and it is my day.

Yet inevitably, Mother's Day did not fulfill my expectations of being the most perfect day of the year, in which everything goes according to plan. My children fought with each other. My two-year-old had a fit over who knows what. My older son had a fit because did not want to wear khaki shorts and a nice shirt for church pictures, he wanted to wear a baseball shirt and gym shorts. Not that it mattered, because we were late to church anyway. And my husband did not want to change every single diaper all day long, and we just had sandwiches for lunch because he didn’t have time to cook, and for some reason the house did not magically clean itself, even though it was my day. So yes, I was in a bad mood. This was NOT how it was supposed to go.

Clearly, my expectations were, er, a little high. One might even say unreasonable. And my attitude was, well, not so great. Fallen, even.

Because in the end, I wanted my husband to anticipate my every need and desire and fulfill my deepest longings, but the only One who can do that is Christ. And I wanted my children to be perfect and sinless, but they are sinful and imperfect, and in need of a Redeemer, just like me. Despite my family’s best efforts, and the truth is they were very sweet to me and tried to make my day special, my expectations of a perfect family in a perfect world will never be fulfilled in this life. Just like I will never be a perfect wife or mother. Not even on Mother's Day. Thank God for showing me that I am still in need of His mercy and grace. Yes, even on Mother's Day.