Love At First Sight!

“I have loved you with and everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

 

Do you remember the first time you laid eyes on your child? I do. What a precious moment of falling in love forever. Even if you have never been privileged to be a parent there was a day many years ago that someone fell in love with you. Your mother took one look at you and asked, “How could I be so blessed to have been given this precious, adorable child?” If your father was present, he too was amazed at the miracle of birth and the perfection of his child. I have been told the same exact thing happens in adoption, there is unbelievable joy when you see your child for the first time! Regardless of the circumstance by which your child came to be your child, it is indeed love at first sight. However, there are some babies that come into the world that are unwanted and unloved. What a heart breaking tragedy.

 

Today it occurs to me that no matter how we come into this world, our Father in heaven is crazy in love with each of us. The first time he laid eyes on you deep inside your mother’s womb he fell deeply in love with you and has continued to love you with an everlasting love. Do you love him in return? Have you felt the way God has drawn you with loving-kindness or have you been so self-absorbed that you have never felt the joy of his love? Do you wonder if there is more to life than you have ever experienced? If so, that feeling is your Heavenly Father, sweetly calling your name and asking you to come to him and enjoy his everlasting love forever.

 

Children are a blessing from God. Someone has said that God couldn’t be everywhere so he created mothers. Of course, that is not true. God is everywhere. Yet, God partners with mothers and fathers to do his loving work as caregivers to his precious children.

 

Being a mother is not a job for the faint of heart! It is a job that never ends. Oh sure, your children may move out of your house but you never stop being concerned for their well being. So if you are a Christian mom – you pray. If you loose your focus – you begin to worry! If you purposefully redirect your thinking to Jesus – you embrace trust. You remember that God loves your precious child more than you do and that he has been crazy in love with them from the time he first laid eyes on them. His love is not fickle nor conditional, it is everlasting.

 

Mothers are needed to be caregivers, spiritual examples of God’s love and grace, and prayer warriors. Do not loose heart if you feel you do not do this perfectly. Remember you are a simple jar of clay. All of us have cracks, flaws, and most of us has experienced brokenness.  We must never forget that it is Christ in each one of us, who is able to give us all the needed strength to rise to this high calling. As moms, we get discouraged, we get tired, we get frustrated, and we wonder if we are invisible to our children. Still we love and we care for those we love. What a beautiful picture of God’s love for each and every one of us!

 

Dads also get discouraged. Dad’s have a huge responsibility. They are not only providers but they are also men of great influence in the lives of their children. Fathers remember, your child admires you and adores you. They want to be just like you. Ask God to give you the wisdom you need to lead your children down a path that will help them find and follow Jesus. When words fail, lead by example.

 

Many parents are doing double duty. They work outside of the home and at home as well. Some single parents never get any relief from responsibility and nerves are raw and bodies are tired. Truth be told, parents have a hard job and there is not a single one who will do this job perfectly. That is exactly why we all need Divine intervention from our God, the one who loves us all.

 

Jesus loved us at first sight and he continues to love us. However, at some point we must really see him. We must realize that we need our Father and choose to become his follower. If we are serious about having a relationship with Jesus Christ we will immediately begin a journey that will cause us to fall deeply in love with him. There are so many ways to do this. We all must discover ways that work the best for us and zero in on seeking to know him in a fresh and new way every single day! The deeper in love you fall with Jesus the greater influence you will be in your family. Life is busy and schedules are full but as you run the race of family life snatch and grab all of Jesus that you can get every day. It is worth it and the reward is great.

 

As parents and grandparents we can agree with the apostle Paul when he says in 2 John 1:4, there is no greater joy than to know my children walk in truth. Parents, it is a joy to be able to give good things to our children such as security, protection, education, opportunities, activities, gifts, and financial inheritance. But above all give them a legacy of your spiritual faithfulness. I know of no other effective, lasting way to do this other than personally falling deeper in love with Jesus and letting that love spill out naturally on our children in the form of godly influence. Your children and grandchildren are watching and they don’t miss a trick!

 

I must remember, even though I am an adult, God still loves me with an everlasting love. He will not let me go. Neither will he let you go. He continues to draw you every day in loving kindness. God is you helper in the job of parenting and grand parenting. If you are available to him he will use you in amazing ways in the lives of all your children and grandchildren. We need his guidance and he needs our obedience.

 

I have found this is true with my children and you will too. There is no greater joy than knowing your children walk in God’s truth!

 

Questions:

1. Are you filled with joy as you remember that God always loves you, his precious child, with an everlasting love?
2. Who are the children in your life that you can influence for Jesus?
3. If you are a parent, do you remember looking at each of your children for the first time? What did you see?
4. How did you feel? What were you thinking?
5. No matter what your children do, do you have an everlasting love for them?
6. Do you recall a time in your life that God gave you needed strength for the job of parenting?

 

Prayer:

 

Dear God,

 

Thank you for the privilege of being a parent. I pray that you will continue to help me rise to the task of pointing my children to you. Help me to guard my influence. I pray that I will guard my words and my attitudes. I pray that I will teach my children of your never ending love and faithfulness. Father, help me to above all else leave them with a legacy of faithfulness to you that they can draw upon even when I am no longer with them.

 

Father, bless all mothers whose arms are empty. If it be according to your will, give them a child. If they are to remain childless fill that void with other good things from your heavenly storehouse. Show them ways to influence other children that may be within their realm of influence.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

How Many Peeps Are You Responsible For?

“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 1,000^th 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:

1. What is your greatest challenge in being a mom?
2. Are you trying to win an Oscar for being the “Best Mom in the World”?
3. Do you believe there is any room for mistakes as a mother?
4. When was the last time you and God had a serious talk about your job assignment?
5. 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.