A Mother's Hope
Mother, Are you Feeling overwhelmed? worn out? insufficient?
There is hope for you, Mother. You are not alone.
“Can you please be kind, Momma is tired today.”
“I can't even think straight today. How do other mothers do this?!”
“I love my kids, but I wish I could just get away for an hour or two of quiet, alone time.”
“I wish my family lived closer, so I could leave the kids with them and just run to the store by myself.”
“I can't even keep my house clean, let alone raise children!”
Ever felt like this? I do, A LOT. But I'm finding out that it's not just me. Lots of Mothers, (missionary or not) feel like this. It's nice to know I'm not the only one, but still what can I DO about it? How do I take captive those thoughts of failure, those temptations to compare my perceived inability with the perceived competence of other mothers?
Here is some encouragement the Lord has directed me to: I Corinthians 10: 12-14
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bearit.
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
This passage tells mothers 3 things:
1. Thinking “I can handle this today.” is nothing short of idolatry.
Pride in my own ability either by puffing myself up, or by selfishly mulling over my failures is idolatry. My thoughts of self are crowding out thoughts of my Savior and of those I am to influence for Him. I am to “flee” from this kind of thinking.
2. My trouble is not a new temptation, but a common one.
The God who knows all and IS truth tells me that this is normal. It's not wrong in and of itself to feel like this. (Sin is when I begin to dwell there, and believe the lie.)
3. God is faithful and will help me to bear this “hardship” and make a way of escape.
Now by “escape” please don't misunderstand. I'm not escaping in the sense of running away. No, because I know that God has put me here as Mother to these little souls and I Thessalonians 5:24 says “Faithful is HE that calleth you who also will do it.” But rather “escape” is a release from the bondage of the temptation – temptation to despair, to temptation to compare, temptation to discontent, temptation to lament, temptation to rebell, temptation to yell (you get the picture)…
He IS faithful. He HAS put me right here, in this hard spot, on PURPOSE. He WILL do through me, what He has called me to do. And I can choose to be joyful right where I am because of Him.
This is by no means something I have conquered, it is something I am living.
I was (and am still) SO excited about recently being introduced to Sarah and Sally Clarkson and their new book Desperate: Hope for the Mom who Needs to Breathe. I am excited because along with the Hope in the book comes a challenge to reach out to other “desperate moms”, encourage them, mentor them, and in doing so, share this HOPE and the Love of Christ. I hope you'll check it out. I think you'll be encouraged too.