Rising to the Challenge of Motherhood
We laughed when people told us as a newly married couple that we should enjoy the relaxed schedule we had at that season in life. Ha! Relaxed? Surely they knew nothing of the demands on our daily schedule. Both in school full time, working part time, add in a variety of ministry involvements and Bible studies, we were busy! These well intentioned people could not possibly know what they were talking about.
Then we had kids.
While our outside the home commitments have dwindled, the constantness of parenthood has stretched our weekly responsibilities. I always have something or someone that needs my attention, direction, affection, or supervision.
It can easily overwhelm, discourage, smother, or frustrate us if we don't first make sure we have a solid grounding. Jesus Christ alone can provide this foundation. My day must begin with Him and my life must depend on Him.
Before we can consider the challenges that come with motherhood, we must first establish ourselves in Him.
How?
- Prayer: Worship God, acknowledge His lead in your life. Pray for your kids, your husband, and yourself.
- Read His Word: Daily, constantly cling to the hope He offers. We don't walk this path alone.
- Find more support and encouragement in relationships that God has placed in your life: First and foremost in your husband, and secondly in other friends, family, and fellow moms.
As we share our footprints with the little blessings that God has added to our home, we must continually set our pace to His. His wisdom will not fail us, His love will not come up short. His strength will press through our weakness.
I would challenge you to check your own heart as we begin to explore areas we can grow as moms. I know I continue to identify growth needs in my own life. I need to work to remove those beams from my line of sight so I can remove the specks I see in my children and prevent them from developing beam-blocked vision. What the beam often blocks is the fact that I harbor the same shortcomings that they do.
God has called me to be a mom right now. My focused energy needs to stay in home and enable me to fill that role to the best of my ability, and to the glory of my heavenly Father. Sometimes, too, I know the right thing to do, but I get lazy and skip essential parenting habits. I look forward to re-energizing my motherhood in the weeks ahead, and I hope you do as well.
Then we had kids.
While our outside the home commitments have dwindled, the constantness of parenthood has stretched our weekly responsibilities. I always have something or someone that needs my attention, direction, affection, or supervision.
It can easily overwhelm, discourage, smother, or frustrate us if we don't first make sure we have a solid grounding. Jesus Christ alone can provide this foundation. My day must begin with Him and my life must depend on Him.
Before we can consider the challenges that come with motherhood, we must first establish ourselves in Him.
How?
- Prayer: Worship God, acknowledge His lead in your life. Pray for your kids, your husband, and yourself.
- Read His Word: Daily, constantly cling to the hope He offers. We don't walk this path alone.
- Find more support and encouragement in relationships that God has placed in your life: First and foremost in your husband, and secondly in other friends, family, and fellow moms.
As we share our footprints with the little blessings that God has added to our home, we must continually set our pace to His. His wisdom will not fail us, His love will not come up short. His strength will press through our weakness.
I would challenge you to check your own heart as we begin to explore areas we can grow as moms. I know I continue to identify growth needs in my own life. I need to work to remove those beams from my line of sight so I can remove the specks I see in my children and prevent them from developing beam-blocked vision. What the beam often blocks is the fact that I harbor the same shortcomings that they do.
God has called me to be a mom right now. My focused energy needs to stay in home and enable me to fill that role to the best of my ability, and to the glory of my heavenly Father. Sometimes, too, I know the right thing to do, but I get lazy and skip essential parenting habits. I look forward to re-energizing my motherhood in the weeks ahead, and I hope you do as well.
Comments
~Erin
As the years go by, I understand more of what my mother meant about how much of parenting is done on our knees.