Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. –Psalms 19:14

As I look around, I am amazed at the power of a mother’s influence throughout life. I have seen it in my family, in my friends, and even on TV. One of my favorite shows right now is Parenthood. On a past episode, Zeak, the grandfather and father to most of the cast, was struggling to impress his mother on her birthday. He felt everything he tried to do never measured up in her eyes. This lack of acknowledgement from her had affected him throughout his whole life and even his relationships with his children and grandchildren.

If mothers have the power to influence their children when they are older and one of many voices speaking into their lives, just imagine the power and influence we have when our children are young and we are one of a few voices speaking into their lives. Scary!

I have to remind myself daily of this influence. When I’m about ready to lose it, I need to take a step back and do what it takes to relax. Sometimes that looks like taking them outside to play, and some days (let’s be honest), it looks like giving up and turning on the TV for a few hours. When I do hear myself says words I regret, I need to be big enough to say, “I’m sorry. I blew it.” Where are my children going to learn to fess up on their mistakes if not from me?

The key is to be aware of my influence over my children and not stress out about it. Will I mess up and totally blow it? Oh, yeah! Frequently. But if I seek God’s face daily, even for a few minutes, I will learn that he forgives, and I will continue to grow to be like him, and in turn, become a better, positive influence on my children.