Missionary Mom

I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was also one of the best things I have ever done for myself.  Fast forward twenty plus years and now I have three of my four kids serving missions.  I get so many comments when people find out that I have three missionaries.  It is usually starts with shock and disbelief. They wrack their brains to recall if they've ever known anyone that has ever had three kids out at once.  They tell me I should be in an Ensign article and they invariably ask me how I'm doing.  Dave and I joke that we are killing three birds with one stone and that we should write to Salt Lake and see if we can get a buy-two-get-one-free-deal. But in all honesty, I'm doing great.  Not that I've ever known any different, but having them all out at once is kind of great.  I get to miss them all at the same time and they get to all come home relatively close to one another.  And if I ever do get sad, which I do, I think about how great a mission was for me and how great I know this is for them.  Once thing I told each of my kids was that their missions might not be the best 18 months (or two years, for Ryan) of their life, but it will most definitely be the best 18 month FOR their life.  There are things you learn about yourself and others that you could never learn any other way.  You learn to work with and get along with other people.  You learn that you can do hard things.  You learn that the world does not revolve around you.  You learn gratitude and compassion, and not to sweat the small stuff, and so, so, so much more.  But, the most important thing you can learn is to rely on the Savior and that he can make so much more of your life than you could ever imagine.  You learn that putting Christ on your side of the equation will profit you so much more than leaving him out.

ME+MORE=CHRIST     VS.     ME+CHRIST=MORE

So, while I miss my kids, I wouldn't really want them anywhere else.  I'm grateful that they are learning to put others before themselves and that Ramen noodles can be made many different ways.  But I'm mostly happy that they are discovering how to make it through this journey called life with the Savior by their side as they teach others to do the same.