The Melting Pot of Motherhood
by: Stephanie Llorente
One thing I love about the work I do with Restored For Moms is that I don't have to separate the personal from the professional. Ever. I get the privilege of spending intentional time with women who understand my lifestyle, and I understand theirs.
There’s an unspoken understanding among working mothers that says, “I get it.” – an acceptance that never needs to be mentioned, acknowledged or publicized. It lives quietly among the worry lines in our foreheads, the permanent indentions of a wedding band, the goldfish crumbs in our purses, and the dark circles under our eyes.
We're all busy. We all care about family. We all want the best for our community. We all value our careers. We all uphold our faith….or at least try to.
We rarely discuss these things at length, but there’s a gentle understanding amongst those in the foxholes. Guided by the idea of motherhood as a melting pot, we know Restored mothers to be a community where faith, family, friendship and function proudly intermingle.
Because of my own lived experience, I know that these women cannot fully focus on their work when a child is sick. I understand the pressure they feel when they have to travel for work. I share their concerns for time management and parenting well-rounded kids. Likewise, they know because of their own situations that I love my kids, but need time alone with my husband. They get that hiring a house cleaner isn’t a sign of status, but of survival. They don’t expect apologies for my many shortcomings because they know full-well the many directions in which my mind is pulled.
Our separate, but shared, experiences compel us to accelerate the grace we give because of the grace we’ve received – not only from each other, but from Christ himself. One of my favorite Bible passages illustrates that grace so well, stating that Christ chose us – even with our many imperfections – well before we ever considered him.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8, NIV)
This past Saturday, a few Restored moms gathered for a short morning workout. It wasn't a lot of time. It wasn't a lot of effort. It wasn't a lot of money. In fact, many of those who showed up didn’t know others in the group. But we were all linked by the unspoken – the knowing, accepting and expecting that melting the personal and the professional is a natural outpouring of grace given and received within the bounds of the Restored community.
If you haven’t found your very own community of moms that encourages, challenges, accepts and motivates you in the spaces and places where you need it...you’re always welcome into mine. The women I’ve met here truly want to see you succeed, whether that’s in a workout class, a church service, a living room or a board room. And, so do I.