A Special Grace for Mothers

“From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.” Psalm 8:2

If you are a parent, you probably remember well the first year of your child’s life. Priorities shift to basic needs and survival mode!  Then, if a second child comes along, you realize that one child is not so bad.  It’s a crazy cycle. Usually toward the end of the first year, we get a little more sleep and we realize that new ‘normal’ is filled with perpetual change and growth.  New teeth, growth spurts, schedule changes, and life events all are constantly being juggled. We finally get to the moments when ‘normal’ life seems like a possibility.  

It’s at those moments, we have a nagging thought that we forgot something.  Then we remember…. we failed to prioritize God in our lives.  And a fleeting moment of victory turns into failure.  BUT GOD has a special grace for mothers!  Let God restore the moment of victory because He doesn’t nag us to spend time with Him.  He even rejoices with us in our moments of normalcy.  He knows our days are ever changing.   

Your child is His gift to YOU! He understands your child is the most precious gift you have.  A lot of new moms feel frustrated when they recognize that their personal life and devotional life will never be the same again!  It’s a new season in your life.  New seasons force us to change the way we do things, like eating food and feeding your child at the same time. Or putting make-up on in the car.  It’s realizing that your messy home is not messy at all. It’s actually an updated, much more modern look that many new parents are striving for these days.  We get very creative!  God made us that way!  He is a creative God!  

He wants us to live in freedom, not in religious acts of devotion to Him.  He made us to change and grow.  Your life has changed.  We all realize that our lives are never the same again after a child comes into our world. God has a special grace for new mothers.  He wants us to enjoy our children. God wants us to enjoy our relationship with Him, not live in condemnation.  Our devotional life will change.  Maybe you find yourself singing worship songs to Him as you try to rock your child to sleep.  Maybe it's reading children’s bible stories.  Children’s bible stories can speak to our lives if we simply let the truth of His Word come alive in a different way.  Maybe it’s recognizing God’s presence in those quiet, intimate moments when you are holding your child.  Or maybe it’s watching in amazement as your child grows and learns - the ‘wow moments’ when God reveals to you something about His nature through your child.  

One of the greatest gifts in our lives is our children.  Our children will draw us closer to our Heavenly Father despite the fact that they often rob us of our ‘set apart time’ with God.  So go ahead and change, be creative and embrace your heavenly Father right in the middle of your exhaustion. Look for Him in your child.  And as they grow, they will continue to challenge you to walk out what you are teaching them by your words and your example. Because God gives a special grace to Mothers!

“Truly I tell you unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3