BETHANY BELUE | GUEST
The moment I brought my little boy home from the hospital, so much in my life changed. Overnight, my whole world shifted, and I began to see life through the lens of another human being who was completely dependent upon me. My time went from things I needed to do to what the baby needed: when did he need to eat, when did he need to sleep, and why was he crying so hard?
One morning, as I stood at my sink looking out at the fresh flowers in the flower box outside my kitchen window, while my baby slept in the room beside me, tears welled in my eyes. Motherhood overwhelmed me. The to-do list felt endless, the sleep felt too little, and the needs of this tiny little human felt exhausting. My need for the Lord felt great, yet my time with Him was almost nonexistent. In that moment, the voice of the Lord spoke to me, a voice of love and compassion: “My presence will be with you and I will give you rest” (Ex. 33:14). I’m not sure there could have been more needed words for a tired, anxious, first-time mother. I knew then that He was near and He saw me. He reminded me that in those days of early motherhood, He was with me, and although rest may not be found in sleep, it was found in Him.
Two and a half years later and another child later, the Lord has taught me important truths of walking with Him through these years of being a mom to little ones.
Our walk with the Lord is not dependent upon us.
The Lord chose us to be His children before the creation of the world. He created us, He loves us, and He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. We want to give our very best to the Lord, although we feel like the widow who gave her two small coins to the Lord because that was all she had (Mark 12:41-44). The Lord wants our heart, yet nothing about our relationship with Him is dependent upon us. He is the One who pursues us, carries us, and faithfully loves through the different seasons of our lives. When we offer the little we have to give, He accepts it with joy.
The Lord doesn’t change even when our lives change.
Hebrews 13:8 says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Although we may experience change through motherhood, the Lord is faithful to us day after day. He cannot and will not change. He shows this repeatedly through Scripture, and He shows us it today. The Lord longs to have His children meet with Him. There is great blessing in spending time in God’s Word and in prayer, but God’s love and character is not dependent upon our actions.
Rising early in the morning is worth it.
Jesus did many things during His years of ministry on earth. He preached. He healed. He discipled twelve men. But before He did any of that, He rose early in the morning and met with His Father (Mark 1:35). Sleep can feel (and often is) a hard-fought need in motherhood, yet there is great benefit in rising early before our children to meet with the Lord. Some days, we may only have a few moments, but opening the Word and starting our day with Him sets our mind and heart on things above (Col. 3:2). Time with our Father prepares us for a day of mothering, whatever that day may bring. Not only is it good for us, but it teaches our children that before we are a mom or even a wife, we are a child of God who needs to spend time with her Heavenly Father.
The Lord is present during the long days of motherhood.
Whether we stay at home full-time with our children or work outside the home, the days can feel long. The needs are great, and the moments of quietness are few and far between. In those moments of crying children, hungry babies, rushing kids to activities, or commuting to and from work after you drop your children at the babysitters, the Lord is present. He sees us when we lose our patience; He hears the pleas for help when we don’t know the best decision for our child; He is present through the good and hard days of motherhood. He longs to help us through all of those moments. Although our alone time with Him may not be consistent, He is there every moment of every day. He always has been, and He always will be.
Growth is happening even when we don’t see it.
We often want to see ourselves maturing in Christ. We may want to know more scripture, spend more time in prayer, and have more time for deep conversations with our sisters in Christ. Those are all good things. Although we need to be in the Word, prayer, and community, we must continue to remind ourselves that our relationship with the Lord is not dependent on what we do. The Lord is faithful to us even when have very little to give. If the Holy Spirit is in us, then He is at work in our lives. He is the One who changes us. He is the One who grows us. Motherhood is not a detour in our walk with the Lord, but part of the larger story that He calls many of us to. And I am sure of this. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). If you are His child, He is at work in you, even when you can’t see it.
Walking with God through motherhood will change throughout the seasons of our lives Whatever the season, whatever the struggle, and whatever changes take place, we can be confident that the Lord is at work. Moms, let us find our rest and hope, not in what we can do, but in what God has done and will do.
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
