She rises while it is still night and gives food to her household. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings, she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. She extends her hand to the poor and stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Proverb 31:15-22 (Meant for a wife, but true of a mother)
When the Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of overtime when one of His angels stopped by and said, “You’re doing a lot of extra work with this one.“
The Lord answered back, “Have you seen the specs I put together for this model?
She has to have 180 movable parts that will last for years to come—run-on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. Has a kiss that can cure anything from a child’s broken heart to a husband’s broken spirit. And six pairs of hands to fix everything.”
The astonished angel shook his head and said in disbelief, “Six pairs of hands?”
“It’s not the hands that are taking so long,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes that a mother needs, two in the front and a set in the back.”
The angel asked, “And is that with every model?”
The Lord nodded, “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks her kids, ‘What are you doing,’ even though she already knows. And of course, eyes in front that can look into a child’s eyes who has goofed up, and say, ‘I love and forgive you,’ without ever uttering a word.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Maybe you should take a break for a while; this is going to take a long time.”
“I can’t; I’m too close now to creating something near to Myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick, feeds an entire family on a pound of hamburger, and can get a nine-year-old to stand under the shower.”
The angel circled the mother and said, “She’s beautiful but too soft!”
“But tough and resilient!” said the Lord. “Just wait and see what this mother will be able to do and endure.”
“Can she think?”
“Not only think beyond measure, but reason, reflect, and referee the most difficult family battles.”
Finally, the angel bent over and ran his finger across the mother’s cheek. “Wait for a second; there’s a leak. I think, Lord, You may have put too much into this creation.”
“It’s not a leak; it’s torn, the same kind I have when I see those I love so much fall away from Me.”
The angel leaned back, understood, and smiled.
Reference
(Edited, but anonymous)