“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;”
Psalm 91:4a
Being a mother is not for the faint of heart! Being a mother calls for strong stomach when children are sick and diapers need to be changed. Being a mother calls for gentle love but also tough love. Being a mother means forgetting the life you used to have and finding joy in butterfly kisses, giggles, and making the 1,000th peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Being a mother means washing your son’s favorite shirt three times a week and having a tea party in the middle of making dinner. Being a mother means tucking our peeps in at night under sweet smelling covers, keeping our family safe, teaching values, and praying with our children. Being a mother means worrying about our children when they are late and when others are unkind to them. Being a mother means loving unconditionally forever. Most mothers would give their lives for their children.
Sometimes the pressures of motherhood can get the best of us. Even having one child to care for can be overwhelming, not to mention mothers with six or seven, or ten or twelve children. And what about that mom’s who has twins, triplets, or even quintuplets! Every one of your children is your precious peep, and your responsibility!
God always knows what is going on in your kitchen, the laundry room, the family room, the car, your backyard, the emergency room, the parent teacher conference, the soccer field, the college dorm, the newlywed’s home, and the whereabouts of that son or daughter who is living far away. But somehow we tend to forget that important fact. The fact is most mothers belong to a sisterhood that never ends. They are known as the “Worrywarts!” Worrywart moms have moved way beyond concern and plopped down in a chair of nervous hypertension! Worrywart moms have a gross of paper bags delivered to their door weekly so they can keep breathing! For most moms hyperventilating is the norm! We tend to forget that God loves our children more than we do.
As mothers, some days we are proud of our children’s accomplishments. Other days we are embarrassed by their behavior. Some days are great and all is going well. Other days it seems that life has exploded in our child’s face. We hate when people are mean to our children and we hate when they are treated unfairly. We never know what to expect. We love our children unconditionally, and we pray.
On the good days we give thanks. On the bad days we cry out to God. Sometimes we even wonder if God fell asleep on the job or took a vacation from our child’s life. I assure you the answer is no, God is very present in our life and in the lives of all those we love. Sometimes we cannot see him or feel him, but still, if we pray, and sometimes even if we don’t, God is still watching over those we love and loving them more that we do. How is that possible? I do not know.
Being a mother calls for strength and courage. Sometimes we feel that we cannot do this enormous job alone. So we wave the white flag of surrender and humbly approach God and admit that we need His help. Much to our surprise we find out that we are not super mom, but God has known that all along.
Now, instead of us tucking our child into bed, God says, “I am here. Tonight I will tuck you into bed.” I will cover you with my feathers of comfort and in me you will take refuge and find peace and rest.” He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;” Psalm 91:4a Can you imagine being under the wing of God, completely covered by his warm blanket of feathers. Dare to feel him; he is holding you so close that now you can hear his heart beat in love for YOU.
Being a godly mother is an extremely high calling. I am reminded that God never called anyone in the Bible to do anything without promising that he would be with them. I would encourage you to give God your stress. Give God your exhaustion. Give God your concerns. Give God your dreams for your children. Give God your fears for your children. Give God your anxiety and insecurities regarding your children. Give God your failures and short comings as a mother. Now listen…..shhhhhhhhh……hear his heart beat in love for YOU because now you are safely covered by his feathers. Good night and sleep tight.
Questions:
- What is your greatest challenge in being a mom?
- Are you trying to win an Oscar for being the “Best Mom in the World”?
- Do you believe there is any room for mistakes as a mother?
- When was the last time you and God had a serious talk about your job assignment?
- Are you comforted to know that God wants to cover you with his feathers and give you his peace?
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you so much for allowing me to experience the awesome privilege of being a mother. I am reminded today that you have entrusted your children to me. They are not really my children because I know they belong to you. Heavenly Father, help me to find joy every day in serving those you have given me. Father, protect them from the hard things in life but more than that protect them from the evil one. I pray that all of my children would fall madly in love with you! Help me Lord to lead my little ones to you. Help me to trust you when they leave the nest. When they are adults help me to be faithful in praying for them daily, not out of duty but rather out of love. Lord, I pray for those women with empty arms. Fill that hole in their heart with your love and other opportunities. God, I thank you that I am your precious child and that you love me unconditionally. Help me to listen for your heartbeat of love every day, all day, and all through my anxious nights. Remove every anxious thought from my mind and replace those thoughts with peaceful slumber.
In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.
This week's post is written in loving memory of my wonderful mother and my mother-in-law, both godly women who were amazing ladies of influence on my life.
This week's post is written in loving memory of my wonderful mother and my mother-in-law, both godly women who were amazing ladies of influence on my life.
