No Better Mom For The JobSample

You're not alone in the thick of motherhood

I’ll admit that in the thick of motherhood, it can be easy to forget that Jesus is the One I really need. In my “at a loss, don’t know what to do, don’t know how to fix this” moments (please tell me you have them, too!), I can be quick to reach for expert advice from a parenting book or the nearest bag of Fritos. Surely someone knows why my kid won’t sleep or won’t stop lying, or why I love my littles but I can’t stop crying. Surely a salty snack will curb my hunger to be understood, calm my temper, or curtail my frustration.

There’s nothing wrong with chips or practical help. But I need to understand that my desperate desire to be a good mom is not an indication of my deficit as a parent; it is a soul-alert that I have an invitation awaiting my acceptance. Ding! Notification! There’s an outstanding offer of help from the One who made me a mother.

God is inviting me—and you—to walk through motherhood with Him. And that doesn’t mean adding one more thing to our teetering, overloaded plates. It means that He wants to carry it for us and heap on piles of wisdom, patience, love, and grace. 

He wants to join you on the floor playing Legos and cheer you on when you figure out one more way to cook chicken. It means He wants to be your teacher and help you learn the landscape of your children so you can understand how they were created, how our strengths and weakness can work together. Jesus is there to be your friend and celebrate every motherhood victory with you—potty training, learning to read, didn’t burn the grilled cheese! And He also is ready to hug your heart tightly when you experience every motherhood ache—uncertain diagnosis, repeated bad habits, will the kids ever listen?

He wants to be there for all of it. All you have to do is accept His invitation. 

In the beautiful and gritty middle of mothering three boys under the age of three, I responded to God’s invitation with this prayer: God, I don’t believe You made a mistake in making me my kids’ mom. Even on the days I feel inadequate, I believe You have called me to this role and that You are willing and able to equip me to be the mom my children need. Please walk this motherhood road with me.

I didn’t pray this once or twice. I prayed it day after day. My feelings about myself as a mom can be fickle. I need to be covered by the truth every day.

One Simple Step: Choose one to focus on today.

· Identify what it is you turn to when you’re feeling inadequate in motherhood.

· Look for God’s presence and encouragement in the middle of your ordinary mothering.

· Make the prayer above your own.