What matters most

Ever since I used one to wash dishes at a friend’s house, I’ve been hooked on the Scrub Mommy sponge. It caught me by surprise; this simple tool was so satisfying to use that I found myself looking for more things to wash. I ordered one for myself that same day and have even gifted them to friends. (Yes, I’ve become that person.)

I love the Scrub Mommy sponge for three reasons:

• It’s efficient; it does exactly what it promises to do.

• It makes a normally mundane chore enjoyable.

• It has two sides: a soft one for lighter jobs and a tougher one for stubborn messes, but neither is abrasive. It gets the job done without leaving a scratch.

No, this isn’t an infomercial. Promise. Stick with me. 😉

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I can’t help but smile at the name “Scrub Mommy” because its characteristics oddly remind me of what makes a good mom. My two sons are now young adults, and in a recent conversation about parenting, someone asked me: If you could go back and parent them again, would you do anything differently? Surprisingly, my honest answer is: No.

Can I look back and see mistakes and regrets? Absolutely. There are bedtime stories I skipped, messes I cleaned up instead of letting them take responsibility, conversations that stayed surface-level when they could’ve gone deeper. I was too tough in some moments and too lenient in others. I can name times when I let comparison or pride speak louder than wisdom. But even so, I wouldn’t go back and change it.

I know my mistakes aren’t wasted. They’re part of the story. In the years that have passed, and in the ones to come, my constant prayer has been this: God, please fill the gaps my parenting has left. Love them in the places I came up short. Use it all, my best and my broken, for their good.

So… what does any of this have to do with a smiley-face sponge? As moms, we have a tendency to overcomplicate things. We worry. We strive. We beat ourselves up over what we did or didn’t do. But maybe what our kids really need isn’t a perfect mom. Maybe they just need a “Scrub Mommy” kind of mom:

• A mom who shows up and does what she’s called to do: love her kids through the mess.

• A mom who brings joy and presence into the everyday, from the mundane to the monumental.

• A mom who has both tenderness and strength and is learning which one to lead with in each season. She can be both soft or tough when needed.

I have certainly not been a perfect mom, but I can say I’ve done my best to “do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14), and maybe that’s what really matters most.

A final observation on the Scrub Mommy—this household tool loses its effectiveness when it’s dry. It has to soak up water to fulfill its purpose. Whether you’re a biological mom, a mother-in-law, a stepmom, aunt, grandmother, or mentor mom, it’s vital to continuously turn to God as your source of nourishment and strength. The love you soak in and receive from Him will be poured out in the love you express to the children you’re called to love, whether they are babies or have babies themselves.

I hope this Mother’s Day serves as a reminder: You don’t have to be perfect to be purposeful. Your love is seen. Your effort matters. And your presence (soft side, scrub side, and all) is enough. So go ahead and release the regrets. Let grace do what it does best: fill the gaps, cover the cracks, and remind you that love is the legacy that lasts.

You are loved more than you know.