She was trying to buy food at a little restaurant in Disneyland. At her hip was a screaming toddler; in the stroller was a crying baby. The employee at the restaurant came up to the mother and told her she couldn’t have the stroller inside the restaurant. The woman broke down, putting her hands to her face, and wept. Then, the mother shouted to the Disneyland employee, “What am I supposed to do? I am a single mother. I can’t hold both children and carry the food as well!”

Then the mother stood there with her hands in her face, shoulders shriveled over in pain, and wept bitterly.

Defeat.

In a few weeks, I will watch my 18-year-old, honor student daughter walk across a stage and receive her high school diploma.

Success.

But Julia once dropped her body in Costco, screaming her head off as a preschooler, causing me to carry her out the door of Costco, back to the car, while she screamed, “help me, help me!”

Hysterical.

My friend held her infant, born prematurely, and watched her slip away into eternity after the doctors took the baby off life support, because there was nothing more they could do.

Sorrow.

After pushing for several hours, the baby girl finally came into the world and they placed her in my arms, alive, pink, and wide eyed.

Joy.

Our friends at Compassion were told their baby would be born without legs and with only one arm. Not knowing how life would be for their baby, they received their little boy as a gift from God. He is adorable and these two parents are full of joy.

Inspiring.

His mom prayed for him as he went off to college. In high school, he was a 4.0 student, raised in a Christian home. However, during that first year of college, he started partying heavily, leaving his faith in the dust. He ended up with a D average for his first year of college. The young man took the next year off school, traveling around, and working odd jobs. Through many circumstances, including loosing a finger to a work accident, he ended up recommitting his life to Christ. The young man then went off to college again, getting a 4.0. He met a girl, and fell in love. That girl talked him into working at a Christian camp for the summer, however, that girl ended up breaking up with him. The boy still went off to work at the Christian camp and met two significant people who would impact the rest of his life.

He met me and we fell in love, and by the prayers of a mother, we did marry.

He met his boss and mentor, who after working at the camp ministry, left to go work for Compassion, and a year later, called my husband and told him about a job opening at Compassion.  19 years later, my husband still works for the ministry of Compassion with that same boss that impacted my husband years ago.

I once asked my mother in law what the key to success was in raising her son, and she said:

Prayer.

When I think of words associated with motherhood, I think of these things. Motherhood takes a different road with every child. There are those mothers that find complete joy in the process. There are those that find pain and sorrow. There are those that feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride. And there are those that live through stories to only inspire other mothers.

I think of all the ways my own mom impacted my life, and the way she loved her children.

Faithfulness.

As my kids continue to grow up and mature, I can now look back and see how this journey of motherhood started long before my kids were born. It started with grandmothers and mothers, through their faithful prayers and patience, and time and energy. They walked the road first, so that my journey might be easier.

Legacy.

Being a mother has been a great…

Journey.