The Abiding Mom

I was privileged to speak this past weekend to a special group of ladies at a Mother Daughter Brunch. Every table filled with moms, grammas, aunts, sisters, daughters – women of all titles were differently the same.  Some were busy young moms of toddlers, not-so-young busy moms of teens, some single moms, working moms trying to hold it all together, empty nest moms finding their new fit in the transition, and then there were those who were aging moms, remembering it all . . .

The ladies chose a great theme –Abide–  a calming word that communicates soul rest, something we find little of throughout the various seasons of motherhood in a stressed-out world.  As women we wear different hats every day that can get a little overwhelming when we have to wear a few at a time – and it becomes a struggle to find time for our people and our God.  And ourselves.

 And there’s no time left to abide . . .

It’s an awesome assignment to give life, nurture and protect the heritage God has given us, but we can’t do it without Him. It’s a large task to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our children and serve our families well.

John 15 tells us what abiding looks like. I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever abides in Me and I in them will bear much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, they are thrown away like a branch that withers . . . 

To abide is to stay connected and dependent.  And it takes slowing down.

So, where do we go to nourish our hearts and create a grace-paced life? 

There is no formula, it’s not a how-to, but a desire-to.  In the mix of dedication and distraction we need to be intentional about creating a sacred space for Jesus. But how do we do that when every moment is accounted for?

Abiding can be the quiet place of the heart in between the dishes, sports practices, carpool, texts and appointments, laundry loading and dinner-doing . . . it’s inviting God into wherever you are. 

James 4:8 says Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

It’s been a sweet mission raising my Gen-Xers in a simpler time – but it wasn’t without the frazzled moments of cooking meals for the finicky, cleaning up after cereal spills, trying to find the other sock when the school bus is pulling up, always having to be somewhere ten minutes ago – all and more while trying to have a quiet time in the middle of the wrestling and shouts of “Mine!”  And it wasn’t without the painful moments of dealing with prodigals, illness and loss. Every stage is valuable in their lives and ours.

Having children is a divine calling and learning to delight in them as God delights in us is the grace.

And my prayer for you and for me . . .Her children rise up and call her blessed.  Proverbs 31:28 

May you have a blessed Mother’s day . . .

 

 

 

 

image courtesy of Dr Michelle