Spend a few moments in the Word of God with Emily Cook as she shares her experiences with sin and grace, trial and joy, in her home with six young children.It is not the quantity of children, but it is the blessed weight of any number of children, that makes us what we are: mothers. We find that lost mitten, practice phonics in the car, and come up with creative ways to discipline. We hide in the shower, we collapse when the kids go to bed, and we forget to take our vitamins even though we give them to the kids. We have bad days, when we raise our voices and we cringe when we hear the word "mommy." We have good days, when our hands willingly bake cookies and shape souls.Our jobs are never done, and what did get done could have been done better. Our hearts are too small, our bodies are too tired, to love these little people as they deserve to be loved.

The grace of God in Christ allows us to be honest about our vocation; to look to Him for what we lack, to take refuge under his grace when we feel the weight of our sin.Mothers, let us draw strength from each other, and look to Jesus for mercy, hope, and wisdom for this impossible, wonderful vocation of motherhood.Jesus, Good Shepherd,Tend to us.