We are not unaccustomed to new life. 4.3 babies are born every second. And with each entry into our world comes endless possibilities, hopes, and potentials wrapped up into one tiny bundle.

But every day, something else is born, and it arises and enters in that very same place in which a child is delivered.

Something powerful.
Something fierce.
Something strong.

Immediate is this awakening that quietly alters the course of civilization, society, and even life itself.

Alongside every birth, adoption, and new addition to a family unit something else is born.

Or rather, someone.

A mother is born.

And with her arrival a guardian, keeper, and protector is born.
A nurturer, teacher, and developer is born.

Much like a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, the metamorphosis of a woman into a mother is momentous. Beauty, strength, and splendor already reside in the fabric of her being, and motherhood more fully draws it out.

The birth of a mother is laborsome, yet miraculous. The breaking forth of new life into HER life is disruptive though necessary. There may be pain and discomfort in the process as she stretches and grows, but this enlargement leads to the actualization of new life and of her very personhood.

Within her is power vast and endless, for her gift is this: she cultivates and shapes the very being she just took into her arms.

Her beauty lies not only in her strength, but also in her delicacy. For alongside her competency lies vulnerability. Her ferocity is matched only by her tenderness, and her strength is accompanied by love so strong it leaves her defenses down and her heart susceptible to great pain.

But she loves anyway. She can’t help herself.

And she is a miracle.

She guards the new life that she so cherishes. She is a keeper of treasured memories and milestones. She is a protector of childhood, innocence, and joy. She pours out of the depths of her soul to nurture those under her care. Every treasured morsel of wisdom entrusted to this teacher is faithfully deposited into the hearts of her young pupils.

When a mother is born, a developer emerges. And much like a gardener, she plows and sows, tends and prunes. She plants seeds she may never see bloom, but she plants them anyway.

When a mother is born, hate and fear tremble for they know full well they cannot match the uninhibited, deep, wild love that resides within her heart. A mother is the nemesis of death, for from a mother comes all life.

When a mother is born, our cities, nations, and the world rejoices.

A mother links arms with her sisters and together they are a force to be reckoned with.

Countless women conceive and bring forth a child, but a mother leaves an imprint upon the very fabric of our souls, our earth, and our time.

Humanity longs for the care and affection a mother provides.

For when a mother is born, a token of healing is offered to a weary world.

*Photo by: Tori Vandament

This article originally appeared on Her Life Is An Open Book

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Emily Lanphier

Emily is happily married and the mother of three young children. Her family currently reside in the inner city of Omaha, Nebraska where they enjoy being neighborhood advocates. They are on staff with a Christ-centered, non-profit that focuses on community transformation. Emily became compelled to write and speak after losing both her parents in a tragic car crash in August of 2015. She is thriving thanks to her deeply-rooted faith, intentional gratitude, coffee, and the YMCA. She loves encouraging others through her blog: www.herlifeisanopenbook.com!

This Time In the Passenger Seat is Precious

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen
Teen driver with parent in passenger seat

When you’re parenting preteens and teens, it sometimes feels like you are an unpaid Uber driver. It can be a thankless job. During busy seasons, I spend 80 percent of my evenings driving, parking, dropping off, picking up, sitting in traffic, running errands, waiting in drive-thru lines. I say things like buckle your seat belt, turn that music down a little bit, take your trash inside, stop yelling—we are in the car, keep your hands to yourself, don’t make me turn this car around, get your feet off the back of the seat, this car is not a trash can,...

Keep Reading

So God Made My Daughter a Wrestler

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young female wrestler wearing mouth guard and wrestling singlet

God made my girl a wrestler. Gosh, those are words I would never have thought I would say or be so insanely proud to share with you. But I am. I know with 100 percent certainty and overwhelming pride that God made my girl a wrestler. But it’s been a journey. Probably one that started in the spring of 2010 when I was pregnant with my first baby and having the 20-week anatomy ultrasound. I remember hearing the word “girl” and squealing. I was over the moon excited—all I could think about were hair bows and cute outfits. And so...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

You May Be a Big Brother, but You’ll Always Be My Baby

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother with young son, color photo

It seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Back then, we were new parents, clueless but full of love—a love that words can hardly explain. I can vividly recall holding you in my arms, rocking you in the cutest nursery, and singing sweet lullabies, just like yesterday. I can picture those times when you were teeny-tiny, doing tummy time, and how proud I was of you for lifting your head. And oh, the happiness on your face when “Baby Shark” played over and over—that song always made you smile! We made sure to capture your growth...

Keep Reading

“It Looks and Tastes Like Candy.” Mom Shares Warning about THC Gummies All Parents Need to Hear

In: Kids, Living, Teen
Hand holding bottle of THC gummies

What Aimee Larsen first thought was a stomach bug turned out to be something much more terrifying for her young son. Her 9-year-old woke up one day last week seeming “lethargic, barely able to stand or speak,” his mom shared in a Facebook post. At first, she assumed he had a virus, but something about his behavior just didn’t seem right. She called an ambulance and asked her older sons if their brother might have gotten into something, like cough syrup or another over-the-counter medicine. Their answer? “Yeah, THC gummies.” THC gummies are an edible form of cannabis that contain...

Keep Reading

My Child with Special Needs Made His Own Way in His Own Time

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother holding child's hand walking across street

I want to tell you the story of a little boy who came to live with me when he was three years old. Some of you may find this story familiar in your own life. Your little boy or girl may have grown inside you and shares your DNA or maybe they came into your life much older than three. This little boy, this special child, my precious gift has special needs. Just five short years ago, he was a bit mean and angry, he said few understandable words, and there was a lot about this world he didn’t understand. Unless...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter as You Grow into Yourself

In: Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Girl in hat and dress-up clothes, color photo

My daughter, I watched you stand in front of the mirror, turning your body left and right. Your skirt was too big and your top on backward. Your bright blue eyeshadow reached your eyebrows and bold red blush went up to your ears. You didn’t care. I watched you marvel at your body, feeling completely at ease in your skin. You turned and admired yourself with pride. You don’t see imperfections. You don’t see things you are lacking. You see goodness. You see strength. RELATED: Daughter, When You Look in the Mirror, This is What I Hope You See I’m...

Keep Reading

Organized Sports Aren’t Everything

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young girl with Alpaca, color photo

Today I watched my little girl walk an alpaca. His name is Captain. Captain is her favorite. He’s my favorite too. I met his owner on Instagram of all places. She thought I was in college; I thought she was a middle-aged woman. Turns out, she is in high school, and I am a middle-aged woman. This random meeting led to a blessing. We call it “llama lessons.” We take llama lessons every other week. It’s an hour away on the cutest hobby farm. Our “teacher” is Flora, who boards her llamas at the alpaca farm. She wants to teach...

Keep Reading

I Had to Learn to Say “I’m Sorry” to My Kids

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen, Tween
Mom hugs tween daughter

My two oldest kiddos are at the front end of their teen years. I remember that time in my own life. I was loud, somewhat dramatic, I let my hormones control me, and I never—ever—apologized. This last part was because no one ever really taught me the value of apology or relationship repair. Now, I could do some parent blaming here but let’s be real, if you were a kid whose formative years were scattered between the late ’80s and early ’90s, did you get apologies from your parents? If so, count that blessing! Most parents were still living with...

Keep Reading

5 Things Your Child’s Kindergarten Teacher Wants You To Know

In: Kids, Motherhood
Child raising hand in kindergarten class

I am a teacher. I have committed my life to teaching children. Of course, before I began this career, I had visions of standing in front of a group of eager-eyed children and elaborating on history, science, and math lessons. I couldn’t wait to see the “lightbulb” moments when students finally understood a reading passage or wrote their first paper. And then I had my first day. Children are not cut out of a textbook (shocking, I know) but as a young 23-year-old, it knocked me right off my feet. I was thrown into the lion’s den, better known as...

Keep Reading