As I carry this child within me,
As I feel kicks and the hope of new life,
As my body stretches into shapes and angles I never knew it could,
As anticipation and discomfort walk alongside me,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I hold this sweet child in my arms,
Both in awe of God’s creative miracles,
And in fear of what I have just been entrusted with,
As I fall in love all over again at the beauty that is before me,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As long days turn into sleepless nights,
As bliss turns into reality,
As I am overcome by bottles and diapers and tiny socks,
And as my shirt is overcome by spit-up,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As cooking and laundry and chores at times make me forget,
To say “Lord, thank you for this food, these clothes, this home,”
As I work through the ordinary and mundane,
And as I remember how extraordinary is the job called “Motherhood,”
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As pride and joy accompany each milestone,
As sitting and crawling and walking swell the size of our world,
As this precious child holds my hand and for the first time calls me, “Mommy,”
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I learn to set things aside in order to engage,
As I pursue my child, rather than fending her off for “better” or “more important,”
As I play with toys in the afternoon instead of only picking them up at night,
As I try to show my child she is loved and worth my best attention,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I try and struggle to teach right from wrong,
As I hope and pray she will choose to follow Him,
When my heart bursts, “Lord, this is such a privilege!”
And when my mind frustrates, “Lord, this is such a challenge!”
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I fight battles at home so that my child will be a peacemaker in the world,
And as I am threatened to wonder if I am making a difference.
As I am tempted to compare my act of worship to other moms’,
And as I do what I am called to do both inside of my home and outside of it,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I strive to be a faithful follower of Christ,
As I continue to cultivate love and friendship with Husband,
As I take on the role of Mother to Child,
And as the task of daughter, sister, and friend fill the cracks in between,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I try, try, try,
And often fail, fail, fail,
As I am reminded that I can only do my best,
And that I must leave the rest to prayer and the Spirit’s safe-keeping,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As time passes too quickly and days blur into years,
And as I wonder when rattles turned into coloring books,
As my instinct is to grip tightly when it’s time to let go,
And as I entrust my child to the Lord, just as He did to me,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
As I thank God for this gift of life for as long as it is given to me,
As I carry this child in my prayers each day,
And as I carry her in my heart forever,
Then I will say, “This is my act of worship.”
Lord, this is my act of worship:
The satisfying, the joy-filled, the precious,
The messy, the frustrating, the chaos,
Both the worst and the best,
This is my act of worship.
Through it all may my hands be a vessel of Your tender love and care,
Your tender love to one of Your many beloved children.
Might I have the wisdom, the courage, and the heart for the task,
For as long as You choose to give me this gift called, “Motherhood.”
Lord, this is my act of worship.
Grace and Peace,
Kendra