Mothering is an enormous honor. And it can feel enormously overwhelming. Even incapacitating at times. When else in our lives does the very physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of another person rest on us? And if you have more than one child, go ahead and multiply the honor and the weight that you feel. And don’t forget to add in the exhaustion.
Motherhood is a daunting privilege. I can speak for myself, and likely most moms, in saying I really don’t want to mess this up…but remember what your mom taught you? Practice makes perfect. Well, the problem is I don’t really get to practice being a mother until I’m in the demanding throes of motherhood. I think that’s why no other role I’ve ever had makes me feel as inadequate as motherhood.
So how do we overcome this and accomplish what God is calling us to in motherhood without hiding in the corner anxious about our own insufficiency?
- We pray for our kids. I think this is the easy one to remember. God, help my child listen. Help my child know you. Give my child friendships that lead her to you. Give my child influence over his peers. Help my child hear your voice.
- We pray for ourselves. So many times I forget to do spiritual battle for me. To do major prayer request for the momma in the home. To ask God to actually help me pull this off. Let’s not neglect asking God to provide the wisdom, patience, energy, guidance, support, friendship, direction, creativity we need to mother our children well.
The minute we try to do motherhood on our own is the minute it feels impossible. And it’s the minute we mess up. Mothering in our own power with our own thinking is a recipe for failure.
If we can remember to find God in the hidden moments of mothering:
-carrying the 10th laundry load up the stairs,
-waiting in the carpool line,
-zipping up another lunch pouch,
– discreetly texting our nanny underneath the table at a business meeting
Then we can remember to breathe a prayer of reliance on God and a request for His always enough provision.
Try it. Seek God in all of your mothering moments and let Him make you the mom that He created you to be.
Thank u for your vulnerability & truth speaking-Love the prayer!
Thank you.