Alexa Zerrate, GFC South Tampa

Several years ago, I was a younger single woman and became pregnant. At the time, I didn't have a relationship with God. Sadly, many people around me suggested I abort the baby. Instead, I chose life for her. While I didn’t have a relationship with God, I knew about Him. I knew of His power. Because of that, I asked God to take care of my child and I dedicated her life to Him.

As she has been growing up, I have experienced many things with her that have stressed me out, or put me in a bad mood. Motherhood is not for the faint and occasionally my emotions reveal my frustration in this role. Sometimes it is so difficult to raise our children and hard to understand why they make wrong choices or are not obedient.

But, what I've realized along my journey in motherhood is that my actions and reactions often make a greater impact on her life than my instructions. She does not learn from what I tell her, but from what she sees me doing.

I am learning that the number one teacher and coach leads by example. I'm learning that I need to show her how to be respectful by being respectful to her, to control her attitude by controlling mine, to be responsible by being responsible, to be humble by humbling myself, to apologize by telling her how sorry I am for the mistakes I make.

I'm sharing this today because I'm learning, and maybe you are too, what's really important and what our role as Moms is... To love with all our hearts, to point our children to Jesus, and to admit and apologize for our mistakes. And, I'm learning to give grace to myself because just as they are learning and growing into adults, we are also learning and growing as Moms.