What Does It Look Like? - Selfless Devotion (Part Deux)

What Does It Look Like? - Selfless Devotion (Part Deux)

MOST CLOSE ENCOUNTERS of the third kind happen at night. BJ’s did too.

Late one evening, after BJ got up to go to the restroom, she returned to her bed—but the bed was not as she had left it. BJ held her breath; she was in awe. While BJ was up, Genny had quietly crept into her room to straighten her sheets and blankets . . . and Genny had fluffed her pillow. In all her life, BJ had never had anyone fluff her pillow. As BJ told me the story, I could just see this precious little woman padding across the floor to deliver selfless devotion under the cover of night. But unlike the rest of us who have had our pillows fluffed since the day we were born, BJ knew what she was looking at. It was like she was looking at the sun for the very first time.

I know that many of you, my girlfriends, are young mothers who are just learning the ropes—and I’m sure there are days when you’re overwhelmed (as we all were). As you sacrifice your physical, material, and emotional needs for those of your child, I hope you will take time to think about and thank your own mom. As imperfect as she might have been, she also sacrificed for you—even if you didn’t notice all that was going on in her solar system, behind her eyes . . . and in her heart. There were sacrifices I’m sure she made, even if you didn’t know what you were seeing. And you, too, will sacrifice for your child.

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. (Philemon 1:6)

Shauna will make mothering look easy; so much so that Ava probably won’t know it’s selfless devotion that she’s looking at either. And one day, thirty years from now, Shauna can think of her own good answer when Ava says, “No one told me it was going to be this hard.”