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Hope For The Christian Mama.
I have a heavy heart this week and this post is as much for this Christian mama as anyone else. My 7-year-old is on spring break. Spring break is a time for family fun and spending quality time enjoying life with loved ones. Most people take the week off with their kids and hit up the beach or go camping or just head to the cabin for some family time in the mountains.
Guess what I’m doing this week? Working, as are many mamas.
I always have a difficult time when my son is out of school – especially the summertime. My mothering & nurturing instincts are at times overwhelming and all I can think about is being at home with my family.
This past Monday I took off work and just spent quality time with my family. I spent my day cleaning, cooking, taking my grandfather out for lunch, and working on my grandparents bills. Not the perfect day in most eyes, but it was a perfect day for me.
Thinking I’m crazy? I’m sure most people are. Most people will probably ask, why didn’t she take her son and go do something family oriented – like go to the park or bowling alley?
Because I wanted to feel like a normal mother for just one day.
As I was doing the 6 piles of laundry I was thankful. Thankful to God for time off to spend with family. Thankful to Him for those piles of laundry. Thankful to Him for those dirty dishes piled in the sink and the meat that needed thawing out for supper…
I was so happy to have one day that I was an actual NORMAL mama.
There weren’t any contractors calling me demanding their door frames, no problems to be solved, no door hardware to be ordered or scheduled. I wasn’t a project manager – I was simply mama & wife.
Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely blessed for my job. I am compensated well & I get good benefits; however, the desire and longing I have to be a normal mama at times like these get overwhelming.
My bible study on Ecclesiastes talks about Solomon’s life. (you can purchase the bible study here) How he had more than any kings before him, but he used it all to vanity. He talked about how he had people laboring so hard to build his orchards, pools, and houses that he forgot what meaning his life was. He was blessed by God with knowledge, great knowledge, and after a while that knowledge became carnal – of this world. His life focused away from God and more toward worldly things. Only later in his life did he come to the realization that everything he worked so hard for was only of this world. He had many concubines, servants, cattle, land, etc. He was a very, very wealthy man – but he was still miserable.
This struck me hard… VERY hard. My heart was heavy reading those lines. Reading the regret from this man. FEELING the sorrow and despair he had.
What were my goals? What was my legacy? Would I leave a legacy of leading people to Christ and being known as a Proverbs 31 woman?
I shifted my thoughts from worry and brokenhearted – to FOCUS.
FOCUS on God. Focus on being a Proverbs 31 woman. Focus on raising my son to live a Christ-centered life and helping others. FOCUS on being a Christian mama.
I know that I have to work. For our family to make ends meet that’s just the fact of life for us. It seems like every time we get 2 steps ahead only to fall 10 steps backward, but that’s okay. I trust in my God’s sovereign plan for our lives. I will abide by His will and follow His footprints until He tells me to do something differently. I always tell myself – The Lord knows ALL. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. He is The King of Kings and The Almighty. He is Alpha and Omega. His will is better than mine & I will be obedient to it.
Sunday afternoon I asked my son what he prayed at the altar in church that morning. Typically when he goes to the altar I do not ask what he prays about, I leave that up to him & God – but I was curious because he stayed for a little longer than normal. His response was “I prayed for my Nenaw, Papa, Nana, Grandpa, and all the sick people who need God in the world”. My heart melted. Later before bed time he told his daddy and I “I’m so glad God gave me a great mama and daddy. I’m so glad God gave me my whole entire family”. This right here was a little ray of sunshine from God telling us we are doing something right….
So today, whatever your worries may be hand them over to God. Don’t be like Solomon and live a life of Earthly pleasures only to be miserable and live a life of vanity in the end. Build your legacy – FOCUS on God. FOLLOW His perfect will. Ask God for knowledge of His will so you can abide by it. FOCUS on being a Christian mama.
This week my heart has been filled with heaviness and sorrow – until I turned my focus to GOD. I am thankful for the opportunities in life. There are some stay at home mamas with 3-4 kids who can’t afford to go work that desire to – and want a simple break from the normal mama life. We all have different situations and we all get overloaded at times…
But the key is to TRUST IN GOD!
Proverbs 31:25-30 – Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
At His Feet…..
Amanda-Leigh
