5 Tips of Encouragement for the Less Than Perfect Mom

(Read below to see why there might be one of three very important reasons why you should join me back here on March 16th) 

I always want to be a perfect mom. But somehow, I just never live up to that standard.

There have been so many days when I wanted to shout to the world how awesome I think my kids are and brag on a wonderful accomplishment they had or a mature, wise decision they made. On those days I feel like an awesome mom, kinda close to perfect. But then there are those days when I’ve wanted to hide in the closet and cry, wondering why some aspects of parenting had to be so difficult and where I went wrong. On those days, I feel like a failure as a mom.

The journey to be the perfect mom is literally exhausting. Amen. And hallelujah. Then to make matters worse, we know our kids see our flaws more than anyone else. Yet, usually, they are also the first to offer grace and love, and move on, while we beat ourselves up for messing up long after our kids have forgiven and forgotten.

And sometimes it’s not just our daily mess-ups that cause us to feel like terrible moms, but painful experiences or mistakes made prior to the children ever even being born. Experiences which left deep scars in our confidence and self esteem, causing self-condemnation to seep into our souls, while always reminding us we are pathetically flawed no matter how hard we try.

In my Proverbs 31 Devotion today, No Such Thing As A Perfect Mom, I shared about the tragedy of a teenage abortion, and how that mistake haunted me long after becoming  a mom. I spent many years believing that if I was the perfect mom, I could make up for that mistake, yet was always left feeling very inadequate. But over time, God helped me understand that not only is He the only way to a healed heart, but also the only way to accept that I don’t have to be perfect to be priceless, and that His mercies are renewed every day. Even for me.

Sadly, since 1973, over 56 million babies have been lost to abortion, which tells me I’m probably not the only mom who sincerely wants to be the best mom ever due to the memories of her mistake that haunts her heart. I’m probably not the only mom who is my own worst critic, holding herself to unrealistic expectations in the hopes that perfect parenting and perfect kids can somehow make up for my imperfect past.

But even though it’s still hard to talk about, I now know that God used that tragic mistake to show me that the promises in His Word are profoundly true. That He does forgive unconditionally. That He can bring peace and healing even though we think it’s not possible. That He can turn what the devil meant for evil into something good. That He can take even our worst mess-ups or our deepest hurts and turn them into our greatest tools for ministry. That we can be great moms, in God’s strength, despite ourselves.

If the tragedy of abortion is in your past, I want to invite you to join me in my upcoming FREE ONLINE BIBLE STUDY of my new book Your Life Still Counts: How God Uses Your Past To Create A Beautiful Future, starting in two weeks. My heart is beating out of my chest right this very moment at the thought of you joining me in this study! Not because of anything I can do, but because of what I know God wants to do in you and through you.

Or maybe abortion is not part of your past, but there is a particular shame, regret, hurt, tragedy or painful memory that has weighed on your heart for far too long, always preventing you from believing you are loved and treasured by God. Maybe deep down, you honestly believe your past prevents you from being priceless to God, that He sees no value in you, and that you surely don’t have a divine purpose. If so, I want to invite you to join in the Your Life Still Counts Study also.

Or maybe, you just want to dig deep into God’s Word and focus on how much He loves you,  and begin striving for the plan and purpose He has for your life. Maybe you could just use a little motivation to take a leap of faith and pursue those nudges God has been whispering to your spirit! I hope you will consider joining in too.

If at least one of those three scenarios describes you today, I know you will be blessed by joining me in my upcoming bible study. You see, this isn’t a study about abortion, or any particular pain or experience – it is a study about real life, real issues, real hurts, forgiveness, redemption, healing, transformation, peace, joy, motivation and the excitement of discovering a divine purpose we never even realized God had qualified us for.

YLSC_study_buttonCLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET SIGNED UP TODAY

WANT TO JOIN THE YLSC FACEBOOK GROUP? CLICK HERE! I’d love to have you as part of the sisterhood in our bible study Facebook group where real life, real conversation, and real community can take place.

As promised in my devotion today, below are 5 quick tips to encourage every weary mom. We are the only mom that God gave our kids, and we are enough!!

5 Tips for the Less Than Perfect Mom

3 Comments

  1. Cathi on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Your story hit very close to home. I share the same story although I was in my twenties. I also felt like God wouldn’t let me have a child after it and there is still some guilt. I have a beautiful daughter – also named Morgan. Thanks for sharing today. I am glad God forgives because sometimes it’s really hard to forgive yourself for your choices.



    • Tracie on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 10:31 am

      Thank you Cathi – it is hard to forgive ourselves for past mistakes, and accepting God’s forgiveness is the first step to doing so. Love your daughter’s name! 🙂



  2. Leah DiPascal on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 12:38 pm

    Tracie ~ thank you for reminding each woman who reads your P31 devotional or this blog post today that they (I) don’t have to be perfect to be priceless in God’s eyes. That sentence alone is worth a thousands celebrations in God’s kingdom!

    I’m so excited and honored to be a part of your YLSC-OBS. I’m praying for each brave woman who decides to sign up and join us. I believe with all my heart she will experience tremendous life change as God begins to do a fresh, new work in her life.



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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

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