It’s May, time to remember to honor mothers.
When I read this very familiar scripture, I was thinking of moms.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” –Matt. 11:28-30.
Is there any mom with a baby or children who is not tired and burdened? I haven’t met her! So, if you are tired and burdened, there is good news for you.
God knows what you are dealing with right now. He knows the day and night challenges of parenting. He knows you get frustrated with the constant demands. He knows that you worry about whether you are doing the right things for your child.
You are not alone! You are part of a world-wide community of women going through the same things. Oh, true enough, you have different realities. For some, the worry about clean water and enough food add to their stresses. For some, the expectations of the team make motherhood a puzzle to work out. Others have to home school and worry if they are doing a good enough job.
But, Jesus tells us the secret to finding rest is in your relationship with Him. When you are on talking-terms with the Lord, He can give you calm, even when there seems to be a storm around you. His Spirit will alert you when there is something you should do for your child and also alert you to information that will make your job easier.
When your soul is at peace, everything else seems easier. So take the time to meditate on Scriptures, listen to worship songs and sing along, pray about everything. Does that sound hard? Use cues in your culture to remind you to pray. Living in a Muslim country we hear the prayer call 5 times a day. Whenever I hear it, I pray to the Ever Living, Ever Loving Father. When you wake at night, think about a Bible passage that you are learning. Keep Christian music in the background and the Spirit will alert you to words you need to hear.
Of course, there are times when you cannot do all the church activities that you used to do. God knows that. He doesn’t judge you. Don’t beat yourself up about it. A tender heart, open to His promptings, is what He desires most from us. If you are doing today what He wants you to, you’ll be ready when He opens the door for more involvement outside your home.
I remember when our boys were both out of the baby stage. Our tiny church had a need for a Sunday School teacher for our 6-8 children, aged 6-12. I felt God’s prompting to offer to do this. I saw that our children did not have any idea how to read or learn from the Bible themselves. I taught them how to find verses in the Bible, how to use a concordance and Bible dictionary and maps. They were excited about it. The younger ones needed help, but the older ones were able to guide them. That teaching experience was so unusual, but just what God wanted. In fact, once we were overseas, that was the basis for teaching 100+ African pastors how to study the Bible for themselves! I never would have dreamed the start with that tiny group of children would bear so much fruit!
Your situation will be different, but I know God has everything at his disposal to give you the rest you need when you turn to Him.
Just one other note: Keep your eyes and ears open for moms with younger children who need the wisdom you have learned with yours. Be ready to share!
Be blessed, Mom! These years with children will pass quicker than you think. Find rest so that you can savor these days and weeks and months with your young one.
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