How the Word Breathes Life into My Mothering

Oh, sweet mommas – this post is especially for the mommas out there – and you don’t have to have toddlers to understand this post.  Maybe all of your kids are teenagers, or are married and raising babies of their own – or maybe you have a few younger than mine and are still living in sleepless nights because of newborns or sleep regression.

Just as the very word of God spoke all of creation into being, and the word of God is written down for us so we may be changed into His image, the word of God also breathes life into the every day of my mothering – right now which is a highly emotional 3 year old we are seeking to potty train and a speedy 2 year old who loves to jump off everything he can climb.

Two examples for you from the last 24 hours.  It was a long afternoon as I fought for my 2 year old to take a nap. I knew he was tired and just didn’t want to miss out on anything.  Finally 90 minutes after scheduled nap time, he finally went down for 90 minutes.  Then, by the time my husband walked in the door at 635 from his job, I was so done.  He immediately took over, gave them a bath, put them to bed (which was a 2.5 hour struggle with one of them), and told me to go do something, anything, other than being with the kids.  I went in and took a long hot shower which is one of my favorite things to do in the winter (I know I’m not helping the water conservation society).  As I was standing there praying, confessing my anger and entitlement, I was reminded of a verse in James that my husband spent a whole year on our first year of marriage: James 4:1-4 which basically says the reason you are arguing and upset is because you are fighting to get what you want because you are idolizing something and not keeping God God in your life and heart.  Yup.  I was struggling all day because I didn’t get what I wanted from my sons.  I wanted quiet – I didn’t get much of that all day. I wanted obedience – but my sons are sinners and not prone to obey so I shouldn’t expect them to do it.  I was crying in the shower, even as the hot water ran down my cheeks and increased my need for an aging-skin moisturizer – God was restoring my soul with the work of the Word.

The second example is from this morning: it was a long morning.  I sat in the sanctuary during the sunday school hour, listening to my husband prep for CEve service, scanning through social media, getting encouraged from friends, and the tears were there all morning.  Before the service, my husband sat down beside me, and just whispered in my ear the gospel: the God has a plan, Jesus is enough even when its hard, that His grace is sufficient.  My tears were dripping on his new gray pants.  I didn’t care.  I hope they didn’t stain.  The gospel is found in the Word.  We must know the Word.  We must have the Word spoken to us – to our souls – to our hurt and weary souls.

I got a book set in the mail this week from Tommy Nelson that helps adults and kids know key Scriptures in the Bible.  How to know them, memorize them, live them out – so that the Word may be life-changing in whatever situation we find ourselves in.  The Joshua Code and I Can Learn the Bible would be a great set for you to work through with your children in the new year.  If you would like please just leave a post about anything – anything at all.

Happy Mothering.