To All the Moms

As I waddle around my house with a newborn on my shoulder and attempt to kick the random array of toys into somewhat of a pile, a list of how my day should go begins to overwhelm my thoughts. I wish the kids would stop fighting. I could use a moment of peace and quiet. I want not to be demanded to do everything for everyone all at once.

And that’s when it hits me, “I want… I want… I want.” Am I any better than my five-year-old begging for her third snack in 10 minutes? No.

Just as a child thinks what they want is what’s best for their lives, we (moms) often think we should be able to control the situations around us. Motherhood alone is a great reminder to us that we are not God. We don’t have the control. And this is true even without a global crisis unfolding around us. What’s going on outside our homes right now is a perfect example of how we have no authority over our circumstances, regardless of how hard we’ve tried to create the perfect plan. As harsh as this is, I want us to be encouraged, this feeling of losing control is actually a huge gift of grace.

The devil loves giving us the illusion we are in control. We get into our routines and comfort zones. He loves it when we rely on our own abilities and “understandings” (Proverbs 3:5–6) to parent our children. He wants us to continue to return to our crutches we tell ourselves we need to get through the day. And he really tempts us to see our children as inconveniences in the way we’ve decided our day should look.

In the midst of this pandemic, God has given us a gift to weed out our crutches and idols. Being forced into isolation or a risky work environment has toppled our security in what was never secure (Matthew 24:35). Our first instinct may be to get angry, feel insecure, or maybe become fearful. And just like our kids, these emotions may lead us to an unfortunate tantrum in the form of lashing out at our families or at God, relentlessly complaining, or trying even harder to control what we are not meant to control.

I want to exclaim the beautiful truth we can find when given bad news: we belong to a God who is steadfast, unceasing, and fully in control (Psalm 112:7). And on top of that, He loves us!

We can trust in Him because “He only is our rock”, He is “our refuge”, and He is “our strength” (Psalm 62:5–8). We cannot get through motherhood by our own strength. And we cannot get through these trials as our own savior. In many of the Psalms, God reminds us to take these moments of suffering and use them as opportunities to come back to Him for security. He wants us to “cast all our burdens on Him” and desires to be the only outlet to “sustain us” (Psalm 55:22).

While these Scriptures encourage us to place our trust and hope in God, they also teach us it’s okay to grieve the things we’ve lost during this trial. We can grieve, but we don’t dwell there. Instead, we dwell in our God and Savior (Psalm 34:18). For those of us who’ve lost community in a church family, a job, health, or even the life of a family member, He calls us to bring our grief, insecurities, and fear to Him so He can be our comfort (Psalm 23:4).

We need to remember what is true and eternal as we walk through these days with our children at our sides. Our hope is not found in our health, our schedules, or in iced coffee. Our hope is found in Christ alone. The Psalmist says it best time and again:

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. – Psalm 43:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. – Psalm 130:5

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord. – Psalm 71:5

Choosing to release the reigns and rely completely on God takes intentional effort and goes against our sinful natures. While we are stuck in our homes, here are a few ways to keep Christ at the center of our focus and “meditate” on His words (Psalm 119:15, 78, 148).

The verses pressed into this post have come mostly from the book of Psalms. I encourage you to read through the Psalms either independently or with your family. Find a devotional on the Psalms. As a mom myself, I realize it can be tricky to find time to sit and do a Bible study with kids running around. As an alternative, you could write or print verses and post them to your mirrors, walls, or above your kitchen sink. But most importantly, I encourage you to pray the Psalms. They are recorded prayers and songs to God and can be a great step to strengthening your relationship with your Father and Comforter.

Let’s be encouraged to cling to our Savior Jesus Christ and be examples to our children on how to look to God when we lose control, are afraid, and are put in hard situations.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. – Psalms 33:18-22