The Many Faces of Mom

Sometimes I have to reassure myself I don’t have multiple personality disorder: One minute, I’m playing jellyfish with Claire in the bathtub, giggling and singing silly songs, and only a few minutes later, I’m chastising her for not cooperating, threatening a spanking. Timeouts can bring out the crazy in both of us, as Claire is loathe to sit alone in her room without throwing an all-out temper tantrum. Conversely, teaching her numbers and letters is something we both enjoy, as I am gratified watching her learn and grow, and she loves the one-on-one attention and mental stimulation.

We all know that moms and dads wear many hats, but it’s also important that our children are never fearful of an unpredictable mood swing, or uncertain of what kind of consequences to expect. Consistency is important, but so are the many faces of mom: the playtime mom, the teaching mom, the disciplinarian mom, the cuddly mom. We certainly change as the situation requires, but we still remain our essential selves: that completely unique person God created to parent this child.

So many parenting experiences can teach us about the  nature of God, like the changing face of Mom. Like a curious toddler asking, “Why?”, we so often ask God how He, the loving and merciful God, could let such atrocities happen in our world. Why do children have to suffer and die from lack of clean water? Why do natural disasters claim the lives of hundreds? Why do drunk drivers crash into family vehicles? Although our children might think we can answer every question, and do anything, the truth is, we can’t answer these tough ones, nor can we save innocent lives. But God knows why, and He could save people if He chose. So why doesn’t He? How can He offer to save all those who believe on His name (John 20:31), and yet let innocent people suffer and die on this earth?

Just as we make parenting decisions based on our children’s need for instruction, for protection, for discipline, and for love, so does God. It doesn’t mean we change our nature: we become who our children need us to be. God seems different at times in the Bible: Old Testament God versus New Testament, Jesus versus God; and He can seem different based on His actions in today’s world. But He is the same. He never changes. He does what His children require. It might not look like love to us, just as timeouts don’t seem like a manifestation of love to a toddler. And what’s more, He doesn’ t fall victim to human parents’ lapses in patience and temper. The many faces of Mom are unfortunately shaded by mom’s personal failings, although I hope I can say that most of my mom personas are adopted based on my child’s needs. But all of God’s choices–or faces– are motivated by pure love for His creation. He knows what’s best for us, and that’s what he always does (Romans 8:28).