Mastering Motherhood

Mastering motherhood has been a goal of mine for the past twenty plus years. There have been many times over these years that I would allow my thoughts to deceive me into thinking I haven’t done all that well. What I now understand is this; I have to remove the idea of “mastering” motherhood in order to surrender to the deceiving nature of these thoughts. Unfortunately the word “mastering” caused me to work towards a false concept of being a perfect mom. Thankfully, God is in the process of correcting this thinking and He is enabling me to come out from beneath the feeling of self-condemnation that has plagued me for way too long. God is also helping me to cut my own mother some slack as I acknowledge before Him that we are all flawed human beings.
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Moms, I hate to break it to you, but we will never be perfect beings, not one of us! According to the Bible, there has only been one that is perfect and it is not us. I now thank God that with Jesus as my Lord and Savior I do have the tools to accept my role as a “Foster parent” of God’s children. Let me explain.
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So many of us say “children are a gift from God,” and that they belong to Him, but then we don’t let Him handle their lives/problems. When there is need/trouble we jump into action before spending adequate time in prayer. We tend to think that we are the only one that is able to get control of the situation and we activate our own plans. I can tell you personally that God has used my broken relationship with my teenage daughter over the past year to help me understand that I control absolutely nothing. He is showing me without a doubt that I am helpless without Him. I have been unable to change neither her heart nor her thinking no matter how hard I have tried. It has truly been a painful journey for both of us but I believe I see a ray of hope on the horizon. I have also accepted that my only responsibility as her earthly mom is to pray, love, guide, and care for her right where she is while her Heavenly Father, through my prayers, works within her as He sees fit. I promise you this is not always easy as some of you may be able to attest to, but it is so necessary for healing and it can be quite freeing.

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As I wait upon the Lord, I continue to hold onto the truth that the God I serve promises to restore that which is lost and I remind myself often that I too was once lost and today I know firsthand what God can do once you allow Him full access. So what do we do as we wait upon the Lord? May I share what I plan to do? I’m going to hold onto His promises and I’m going to pray like I have never done so before because I know that there is great power in prayer. Stormie Omartian writes in her book The Power of a Praying Parent, “The battle for our children’s lives is waged on our knees. When we don’t pray, it’s like sitting on the sidelines watching our children in a war zone getting shot at from every angle. When we do pray, we’re in the battle alongside them, appropriating God’s power on their behalf. If we also declare the Word of God in our prayers, then we wield a powerful weapon against which no enemy can prevail." I love this!

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I am on my knees daily and I am hanging on tightly to these promises.

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John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

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Moms may I suggest a conversation with God today. Share your heart and then step back and watch Him work. I’m getting little glimpses of the miracle of prayer these days and I wait with anticipation of the victory.

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Prayer:
Father God, please help me to remember that You are the Master of all. I surrender my children to You and trust You to guide me as I mother them each day. Thank You that Your word holds the keys to every problem and concern.

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Challenge:
This week, take each and every mommy decision to the Lord, no matter how small it might seem. It only takes a moment to breathe out a prayer for guidance and direction. Be sure to take note of how the Lord leads you each day.

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Pam Crawford 2008

To receive Pam's weekly e-devotional, Reflections, email her at pmcrawfordatwindstreamdotnet.

The Journey

by Jen G. 2008 repost

I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may also be where I am. you know the way to the place I am going. John 14:3-4

When Jesus was having his last supper with the disciples, He did what all parents do before they leave their children for a while ~ He left instructions, gave some warnings, and reminded them of important things. Then He encouraged them not to be troubled, but to trust in God. After all, they knew where He was going and they were to come be with Him soon. Thomas speaks up and says, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (14:5).

At this point, Jesus speaks what might be one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,' " (14:6). Jesus was making it clear that He was the way provided to bridge the sin gap between the Father and human creation. How marvelous! But, Jesus is not only the Way, He is also the destination*. We are to walk in His Truth to have life. And...He is the Life!

The purpose of this journey is to be where He is, dwelling in Him.* Dwelling in Him makes all things bearable, all things clearer, all things worthwhile. Begin to look at your walk with Christ not just as a means to heaven, but as a daily opportunity to be close to Him in every circumstance. To know Jesus is to know the Father. To be in Jesus's presence is to be in the presence of the Father. We do not need to wait until the glory of heaven!

Prayer:

Jesus, please help me to always be aware that You are not just a means to an end, but that You are the Holy God dwelling in me. As I look at the baby in the manger let me see the man on the cross. Thank You for being the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Challenge:

This week, be conscious that every moment with Jesus is a moment in the presence of God. Sometimes we compartmentalize the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although each has a specific function, each is also completely the One True God. Daily give thanks for the incredible privilege to dwell with Him each moment.

Jen G 2008

*Today in the Word, December 22, 2008

I will lift up my eyes....

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life;
The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

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This Psalm has such beautiful promises in it! Let's examine it more closely.

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I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord...

So many times we lift up our eyes to the latest book, speaker, group meeting, even blog, to find help for the journey. Seeking the Lord's encouragement in those places is fine, but the first and best place to look is His Word. Those other things should be used to build upon and encourage us to live according to that Word. Our help comes from the Lord alone! He can use books and speakers to encourage us, but if we are not in His Word consistently, we will not be able to discern if all that encouragement and advice is Biblical.

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He will not let your foot slip - He who watched over you will not slumber...

The Lord watches over you - the Lord is the shade at your right hand...

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night...

The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over Your life...

What a wonderful promise! Sick kids, financial trouble, marriage issues are covered by the One who watches over us day and night! He watches over our very lives. That does not mean that we will never endure physical or emotional pain; we will because we live in a fallen world. However, if we are secure in Christ, our hearts can not be swayed by those things. We have the promise of the Lord of heaven and earth that He will watch over our lives! Anything that comes to us has first been filtered through the prayers of Christ for us, and His prayers are perfect and for our perfect good (Romans 8).

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The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

When we are dealing with fear and discontent, the Lord encourages us to remember that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We are never out of His sight and nothing can remove us from His hand or separate us from Him (Romans 8).

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Many times, being a mom is as scary as it is joyful. It takes hard work to keep our minds focused on the promises of God. We must remember that we are not a mom by chance. We were chosen by the Creator of the universe to be a mom and a wife. The Lord knew long before we were even born what our challenges would be, and He provided His Word to bring encouragement and hope for those challenges.

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Prayer:

Father, I choose to look to Your Word as my encouragement. I choose to trust that You are watching over me in every circumstance. Please help me to run to You and Your promises when I am afraid, angry, or discontent. Regardless of how I feel or how life looks, I know you are my Help.

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Challenge:

Commit to memory at least one verse that reminds you that the Lord watches over you and that He makes intercession for you all day long. When hard things come, stop and meditate on that verse and the promise it holds. Then, move forward with the situation in a new mind set.

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Jen Gorton 2008

Treasure the Time with Thankfulness

When all of my children were under the age of five, I used to live for nap time, bed time, date night, and mom's nights out. Church was a huge delight, not for the great sermons, but for the free babysitting! Well...my baby just turned five and I am sitting here wondering why I rushed all of those beautiful years.
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I started this mommyhood journey almost 15 years ago. I can still clearly hear the voices of older moms encouraging me to enjoy every moment, no matter how loud, smelly, messy, or maddening it was. For the most part I think I tried to do that, but I know for certain I could have worked harder at it. I find myself grasping for memories of chubby bodies and infant cries. Not one of my children draws an unidentifiable picture anymore or needs help pouring a glass of water. I would give a mom's night out for a dirty diaper in a heartbeat!
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The Lord only gives us a certain number of years to be a mommy of littles. Those little ones who were so tiny and helpless grow much faster than we can ever imagine. It is not a bad thing to spend time with other moms or go out alone with your husband. In fact, I strongly believe that those times are very important and vital to maintaining accountability and a strong marriage. It is also incredibly important to gratefully treasure each moment with your little people. The Word tells us to be thankful in all things. Be thankful for the children who still need their mommy to help them go potty - or clean up the floor when they don't make it in time. Be thankful for the little cry during the night calling for you and no one else. Be thankful for Play-Doh crumbs and spilled juice. Soon enough all of that will be over and done with and you will be wondering why you rushed it or complained about it. I can tell you that from experience. The Lord called you, like Queen Esther, for such a time as this. He also called you for such a family as the one you have.
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If you are struggling with the seemingly never ending days or you are feeling resentful of your children and their needs, I encourage you to continue with last week's challenge and spend time daily in the Word and prayer. The Word is the foundation that you can rebuild your thankful heart on.
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Prayer:
Father, thank you for the little people you have blessed me with. Thank you for what you are teaching me about myself through them. Thank you that I am able to have children to care for. Thank you for all the messes and memories. Please help me to focus on the treasure my children are and to let them know each day how precious they are to me.
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Challenge:
This week, choose to be thankful for each mess, diaper, cry, etc. Go out of your way to speak blessing over your children each day and tell them how thankful you are for them.
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Jen Gorton 2008

Fill 'er up!

I don’t think we realize how very important quiet time with the Lord is to our survival. Imagine your car, for instance. If you decided not to fill it with gas it would eventually stop working. If you tried and tried to restart it, without refilling the gas, there is absolutely no way it is going to start. You can move it with a tow truck. You could even push it with several men but there is no way it will run on it’s own. It makes sense to keep gas in the car. It’s the only way it will get from point A to point B without struggling to move it with your own strength.

We must fill up with God’s word, prayer and quiet time if we want to move along in our daily tasks with peace. God says: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-8. I don’t know about you but I can use ‘the peace of God, which transcends all understanding’ on a minute by minute basis!

Imagine waking up each morning, 30 minutes early, to ask God to direct your day. Imagine Him telling you; “Good job, good and faithful child.” Imagine God giving you new ideas to help your day go smoothly. Imagine going throughout your day with ease.

On the other hand imagine waking, 30 minutes early, to get the morning chores complete. You tell yourself you will get to God as soon as things are in order. Then without realizing it the day is over and you are exhausted. Off to sleep you go with hopes of talking to God tomorrow.

I can relate to both of these instances! I have done the latter way too often and know it doesn’t work! I am stubborn and, still to this day, try to do it on my own without ‘His strength’ (and we all know a car can NOT get any place without ‘gas’). How silly that is! It’s not going to work but I tell myself; ‘today I think I can push myself along with my own strength’.

Matthew 11:28 – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. We, as moms, have a lot to accomplish each and every hour. God can give us rest even in the midst of our many responsibilities. Why not ask God for help you with your day, starting right now?

Prayer:

Lord you know what I need to do today. You know I have my own ‘to do’ list in my head. However, you know what you need me to do today and you know what is not necessary. Would you please show me clearly what I need to do so I don’t get confused and miss your plans for this day. I want to make myself available to you today. Show me what you want from me and I would be delighted to do it! Thank you Lord for loving me so much that you care about my day enough to listen to me, and bless me with another day helping the family you blessed me with. I love you.

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This Week's Challenge:

Commit the first 5 to 10 minutes of each day this week to prayer and devotions. The bathroom counts! Have a Bible and small devotional (Today in the Word or Our Daily Bread) on the counter. Pray in the shower and read a passage while you dry your hair or, ya know...

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Dawn Borris 2008