Do you ever feel like you’re pushed to the edge of a cliff?  Just one more step and you’re sure to fall.  Are you one proverbial straw short of the one that broke the camel’s back?

I’ve often had days where I’m afraid that if just one more thing happens, I’m sure to fall apart.

As moms, we often give and give and then give some more.  Because I am a stay at home mom, my job never ends.  I don’t get a break or two during the day as I did when I worked outside the home.  However, when I do get a few hours away by myself, I return refreshed.  I always think to myself, “I need to do this more often.  This is just what I needed.”

It’s true, moms need to schedule regular time to ourselves.  Restorative time.  Time to regroup and step away from whatever chaos is churning in our lives and see it from a fresh perspective.   We need time to pause, reflect and feed our starving heart and soul.

When a mom spends all day and night giving and feeding the minds, hearts and bodies of their family, it leaves her empty and fatigued.  We give from the depths of our being and forget how important it is to refuel our dried up and empty stores of energy and strength.  Just as a car will stop running once it’s out of fuel, we too will fail to function as mothers if we are not refueled and refreshed.

Jesus, the Servant of servants, took time away from his work and ministry.  He rested and spent time with his Father.  He left the crowds when he needed to and was known to enjoy being alone in the olive groves.  He also spent time away from ministering to the needs of the crowds and enjoyed sweet fellowship with his closest friends.  It was these times that gave him strength to continue down the road that led to greatest moment of selfless love.

To be effective in our role as mothers, we need to be mentally rested and recharged.  We need to rest our bodies and get restorative sleep.  Our emotional and physical health is important to attend to as well.  And most importantly, we need to be spiritually nourished from the Bread of Life.

Some important steps to refueling:

1. Communicate your needs to your spouse and other supportive people in your life.  Tell them how you are doing emotionally, physically and spiritually way before you are close to the edge of the cliff.

2.  Consider waking up 15 minutes earlier each day.  Use that time to feed your soul on the Word to give you fuel for the day.

3.  Commit to taking time to yourself each week.  Perhaps its a run to grocery store by yourself.  Maybe your spouse takes care of the evening routine while you rest and relax in the bedroom.  Take a bath.  Read a book.  Call a friend.

4.  Once a month, set time to get together with friends.  Have a girls night out or meet for brunch on a Saturday.  Or go somewhere by yourself that will give you the break you need.  Take a walk, get a haircut, or go to a park and read a book.

Mom’s are givers by nature.  A mom who gives until there is nothing left to give cannot be effective in her role as a mom.  The best thing a mom can do for her family is be well fed spiritually, physically energized and emotionally healthy.  On an airplane, a parent is to put their own face mask on first, before placing it on their child.  In the same way, mom’s need to be intentional in meeting their own needs so they can effectively meet the needs of their family.

When was the last time you had restorative time alone?

I had asked several times with no response. Finally, I raise my voice. He jumps, begins to cry and runs to his room, closing the door behind him–closing his heart in protection from me.

Some days it seems like we all roll out of the “wrong side of the bed.” We go through the day irritable, taking it out on each other. Sarcasm rears its ugly head in my sinful heart and pours out in my words and deeds. At the end of the day, I am guilt ridden.

How easy it is to hurt the ones we love most. They seem to experience the worst of the sin in our heart. Each day the guilt builds until I feel like I am unworthy to be the mother they need me to be.

Then I remember: Jesus knew that about me. He knew I would not be a perfect mother. When I hurt the precious feelings of my little one, Jesus had already died for that sin. He took all of my sins upon Himself, willingly, because there was no other way. No matter how hard I try to be the perfect mother, I am not capable. His perfect life was also given to me. Each time he was kind, each time he was gentle, each time he was patient are all credited to me.

It’s all grace. My salvation is by grace and when God looks at me and sees Jesus’ perfect life, it’s also because of grace.

How does a sinner like me live a grace-filled life? Paul, who himself confessed to being the worst of sinners, always pointed his readers to the gospel of grace in Jesus.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13,14)

His death for me freed me from the guilt and bondage I had to my sin. I am now free to serve in love. My sinful nature no longer defines me. It’s the grace of Christ that has remade me as an heir–a child of God. It’s the grace of Christ that enables me to love.

Though my sinful nature still lingers, it is not a weight hanging over my shoulders. Each time I stumble in my calling as a mother, I need to run to the cross. I need to remind myself of all that has been done for me. I need to remind myself that I have been set free. I cannot think about Christ’s love for me on the cross and not be so grateful that it propels me to love as I have been loved. I need to love my children will the same grace-filled love I have received.

This remembrance of who I am in Christ and what’s been accomplished for me humbles me. Humbled, I go to my little one and ask his forgiveness. I live out for him a life of grace. I show him what it means to be loved and forgiven through Christ. The more that I soak up this grace, the more I can extend it to my children. The more I dwell and focus on the grace that has been given me, the more I am able to parent in grace. The more I remember the love that held Him on the cross, the more I can love others.

Because it’s all about grace.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17b-19

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9

This passage has had a profound impact on my life as a parent. I often wonder, what did it mean to the Israelites? Did it simply mean that they recounted the stories of Abraham, Moses and Joshua to their children at bedtime? Did they use those stories as moralistic lessons of what character qualities to emulate and which ones to avoid?

When the Israelites taught their children about scripture, they were teaching them about God’s faithfulness. That was the purpose behind the celebrations and feasts–to remember all that God had done for them. The stories they told their children weren’t merely stories with a good moral, they were reminders of God’s active role in their lives. The stories recalled God’s salvation, providence and goodness.

This passage weigh’s heavy on my own heart. I want my children to know Him as I know Him. I want them to be in awe of His holiness and blown away by His grace. Yet my first instinct comes from the depths of my Pharisaical heart. I automatically lean toward moralism–do this, don’t do that and remember the courage of David? If that’s the God I teach them, they will never know the God of grace and faithfulness.

When I teach Jesus to my children, I need to point them to God and His goodness. I need to teach them the story of a God who created people to love and glorify Him. But the first man sinned, bringing sin into the world. From that point on, God began implementing his rescue plan, a plan to restore His beloved people to Himself. Showing them how God used their favorite characters in scripture to carry out His rescue plan is good and necessary but it doesn’t end there. I need to point them to the cross and God’s plan to rescue us through His Son Jesus. I need to point them to the grace of God. And as the verse says, I need to do it all the time, everywhere and in every situation.

I need to saturate them in scripture through reading, memorization, and creative activities that help them understand and retain what they have learned. As a parent, I need to be grace filled in my interactions with them, extending the same grace to them as God has given me. It’s also important that I am always in tune to teaching moments that arise. Whether it be during play, during discipline or in casual conversation, when an opportunity arises to teach them about Jesus, I need to be ready. When they stumble in sin, I must point them to the cross and to His forgiveness. They need me to pray with them, asking God to help them conquer sin. And when I stumble myself, I need to humbly ask them for their forgiveness.

Teaching Jesus to our children is more than reading bible stories, though certainly that is part of it. It stems from a life lived in the gospel of grace and it pours out the love and grace of Jesus into every activity and situation. We teach our children Jesus by showing them God’s faithfulness, goodness, salvation and grace in every situation, in all circumstances, all the time and everywhere.

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

What does it mean to pray without ceasing? I like to think of it as always keeping my heart in tune with God; keeping the channels of communication open. I like to pray for something the moment it comes to mind. I pray for friends and family as soon as they ask for prayer. When I pass an accident, I pray for those involved and the emergency personnel assisting them.

But do I pray without ceasing for my own children?

Much of my prayers center around selfish things–please help them to sleep all night tonight, please keep them from getting sick while we travel, please help them to behave while visiting relatives–you get the idea. How about their heart? I do pray for their spiritual growth but not as often as I should. I also pray for their characer, but not everyday. I need to be in continuous prayer about God’s work in their hearts. It’s important that I pray about matters such as their faith, future, their calling and their future family.

Prayer is powerful, though there is some sense of mystery in how it works. I tell my children that while God is in control of all things, He has chosen to use our prayers in carrying out His plan. Prayer makes things happen. One of the passages on prayer that stands out to me is in Acts 12. Peter had been arrested and both he and the church believed he would be put to death. The church gathered and prayed for him. Their prayer was so powerfully answered that an angel came to release Peter from prison. Peter left prison and went to the house where they were all gathered. They were still praying and didn’t even believe it when the servant girl said Peter had come to the door. They were certain he had dies. Despite some doubt in their prayers, God answered anyway and saved Peter from certain death.

I want to be more intentional in my prayers for my children. Rather than just praying for their behavior today, I want to pray for their character, faith and growth in holiness when they are older. Some families use a prayer calendar to pray for their children. I’ve made my own, you can find it here. Feel free to use it. It is a list of thirty-one topics to come before God with on behalf of our children. The idea is to pray the cooresponding prayer for the particular day of the month you are praying.

We have a powerful responsibility as parents to raise our children in the Lord. Part of that responsibility is to entrust them in prayer to God. This happens not just every once in a while, but everyday and all the time–unceasing prayer.

I have never felt the most inadequate as I have since becoming a parent. So often I am in a parenting situation where I just don’t know what to do. I have a son with obsessive compulsive behaviors and high emotional intensities. I am often faced with issues with him where I feel powerless to know how to respond. When I feel inadequate, I often ask “Why God? Why me?” I can’t fact this giant before me. It’s too big, too much, too overwhelming.

I have to remember that our God is bigger than any Goliath in my life. Nothing that comes into my life is accidental. He has called me to be a parent to my children. The prophet Jeremiah felt inadequate because of his youth. God reminded Him of His sovereignty and His power to carry out His plan. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:5-8) I too say, “Oh but God, I am very impatient. I lack the strength and wisdom to be the kind of parent they need.”

Yet, God promises to be with us. He may give us challenges that stretch us beyond our comfort zones. He may put us in situations that are beyond our own abilities and strength to handle. We are never left alone. Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” I think that may be the point of why God gives allows us to face challenges. When we come to the end of ourselves and rest in His power alone, we see God for who He really is. Our faith and love in Him grows when we experience His strength working in and through us. God prefers to use the weak and inadequate to fulfill his purposes for it brings Him greater glory.

When faced with parenting challenges that make me feel inadequate, I desire to respond like Mary. She was a poor, young and humble girl. Chosen to be the mother of Jesus, Mary showed deep faith and trust in God to use her despite her weakness. Upon learning that she was to carry the Christ-child, she responds, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) In the Mary’s Song we read, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” (Luke 1:47-48)

May we all rejoice and bring glory to Him when He calls us to a difficult task. May we believe and trust in Him alone for strength to carry out His will.

We talked about time and how he had used it that day.  I pointed out how he had chosen to spend it on tv and the computer rather than playing with his toys.  “Think of time like money” I said, “there’s only so much of it and then it’s gone.” We talked awhile about the best ways to use his time.

It was later while by myself that I realized how poorly I use my own time.

Could it be that my children have learned from me to use their time unwisely?

How often do they find me at the computer? How often am I working on a chore or some activity that doesn’t include them?  How often do they find me irritated when I am interrupted from said activity?

Since they’ve gotten older and don’t require my constant attention, I’ve found myself busy with other things while they play together. I mainly intervene when they are having a disagreement. It is great to have more uninterrupted time to work on chores or projects but it also means I have less interaction and involvement in what they are doing. In the process of my boys getting older, I’ve become less of a coach and more of a referee.

As I’ve thought more about the discussion I had with my son, I can feel God pushing me to be more intentional with what I do with the hours he gives me each day.  Jonathan Edwards, a famous Puritan preacher and theologian, made a personal resolution that he did not want to be using his time in any way which would displease the Lord, should he return that very moment.

I want Jesus to find me using my time for His glory.

Paul said in Ephesians 5:16,17

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

How can I be wise in my use of time, not using it foolishly but use it according to God’s will?

First, I can learn from Jesus by how he spent his time while on earth.  His priority were people and more specifically, relationships with people.  He knew his time was limited and he had a message to deliver, a message of salvation. He invested much of his time in his relationships with the disciples, teaching and training them.  But our Lord also knew when it was time to rest.  There were times when speaking to the crowds became tiring and he left to be alone.  He was known to often go to the olive groves to be alone with his Father.  He never neglected his relationship with his Father, no matter what else he was doing.  It was this relationship that gave him the strength to continue fulfilling the Father’s will.

Secondly, I need to remember that we are all given a calling to fulfill while we are here.  We all have a short time on this earth, some shorter than others.  Each calling is different and it’s important that we seek in wisdom to understand His will regarding our calling. Whatever that calling may be, we need to make that a priority.  Right now in my life, my family and my church are big priorities.  It’s the stage of life I am in right now. First and foremost, my relationship with God is top priority. Time spent in the word and in prayer is the most important thing I do each day. I also have a big responsibility to raise my children in the Lord; I know that’s his will because scripture tells me it is so.  I also know I am to be connected in fellowship with a body of believers, encouraging and serving others in that body and to those in the community to whom our church reaches out.  I also know that’s his will because scripture tells me it is so.

Being intentional with my time is what’s important.  When my children see the investment I am making in my relationship with God, they will learn how essential that is to spiritual growth.  When my children see how intentional I am in loving and serving our family, they will benefit from the nurture and teaching they receive.  When they see me active in the body of Christ, they will know how important it is to build the kingdom of God and serve others. While I do need down time and I do have chores and other responsibilities, my use of time should reflect my priorities.

When I had that talk with my son, I spoke of time in terms of money because I knew he would understand.  I now look at time as an investment.  When I use my time for a specific activity I think of how will it benefit the investment.  What will the outcome be for that investment of time?  Is it worth using my time on a specific activity?

And aren’t my children one of the best investments I can spend my time on?

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the landowner entrusted his servants with different amounts of money to take care of while the master went away.  Two of the three invested the talents and was able to give their master a good return on his money upon his return.  I don’t want to be like the third servant and just bury my time somewhere where there is no return.  When the master comes back, I want to show him that he received a good return on the time he gave me.

What about you? How has God specifically called you to use your time?

“A mother’s heart is the child’s classroom.” Henry Ward Beecher

I came across this quote on one of my favorite quote sites recently and it seemed to jump out of the screen and went straight to pierce my heart.

How is a mother’s heart a child’s classroom? Our children spend so much time with us that we become their primary influence–especially in their early years.  At an early age, young children will mimic what their parents do.  Little girls will pretend to feed a baby as they’ve seen their mother.  Children love to ride around in their own toy cars, push their own small shopping carts, and push child size strollers.  They also learn from us how to respond to crisis, how to solve a problem, how to prioritize time, how to handle stress, and so much more.

Jesus said,

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

Whatever is going on in our hearts will come out in our speech.  The very words we speak and the tone of voice we use come directly from our heart.  The sins we struggle with, as well as the ones we won’t let go of are also located in our heart.  Resentments, unresolved anger, discontent often take deep root and reveal themselves to our children in our attitude and interactions with others.  Idols are stored there as well. Whatever is most important to us takes residence deep in our hearts.  Beauty, fame, money, acceptance, comfort, and selfishness are things that can become idols.  They affect our life, our interactions with others and the decisions we make.  They also fight to take precedence over God in our lives.

The thought of my own sinful heart being my children’s classroom is quite frightening.

I know what lies in my own heart: anger, the idol of acceptance, fear, sadness, and unforgiveness.

“For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.  Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” (Proverbs 2:6-10)

I know what kind of classroom I want for my children but I often feel powerless to change.  When I turn to Him and place all my sins and idols of my heart at the cross, He forgives me because He’s already died for them.  My heart can be free of all that clutters it, making a classroom where I am not fearful to send my children.  I am free to fill my mind with the wisdom of God.  Paul’s letters are full of examples and admonitions as to what the Christian life should look like.  Paul tells the Philippians to fill their minds with “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is  excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil 4:8).”  Yet before he gives them this list of what their minds should be focused on, he reminds them of what’s been done for them and what God is currently doing in and through them.  He reminds them that their citizenship is in heaven (3:8), that God will work through them his purposes (2:13), that the fruit of righteousness comes to them from Jesus (1:11), and because their inheritance has already been purchased, they can press on to win the prize (3:13,14).  I am not powerless.  The truths of the gospel empowers me to dig deep and rip out whatever is in my heart that doesn’t please Him.  The fact that I have the power of the Holy Spirit living in my heart enables me to put to death the sins in my heart.

To keep your heart from being a classroom in which you would never want to send your children:

1). Remain faithful to His word.  Immerse and soak yourself in the truths of the gospel.

2). Pray and ask the Spirit to reveal to you areas of sin in your heart that need to be put to death.

3) Ask close Christian friends to hold you accountable, to encourage you and pray with and for you.

4). Don’t forsake being part of the Body of Christ. God uses the members of the church to help one another.

5). When you do stumble and your children see it, apologize and remind them that you are a sinner too in need of God’s grace.

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Is He the only love of your heart? When your children are in the classroom of your heart, is He all they see?

This is a guest post. Please scroll down to learn more about the author.

Those who know me well learn quickly that I hate when my house is messy. I mean, seriously hate it. I am a control freak and not proud of it!

Being a control freak who wants everything in its place – at all times – is not advantageous when you are also a mother of four busy children. Believe me, I’ve had to learn a lot about patience in the eleven years since my firstborn entered the world – and I’m still learning!

I’ve had days when I’ve stomped around my living room, carefully replacing throw pillows to their proper positions on the couch, “”Throw’ is not to be taken literally,” I mutter under my breath, the offending baseball players having already escaped to the diamond in the back yard.

Try as I might, I learned quickly that a perfectly pristine home was not going to happen. There was always laundry in the hamper, dirty dishes continued to appear out of nowhere and shoes often landed under tables and behind furniture.

One day while despairing over these truths, God spoke to my heart, “These are signs of life, Lynette.”

“What?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this. Cleanliness and organization bring peace and calm to my chaotic world and I didn’t want anyone, not even Almighty God to try to talk me out of something I thought I so desperately needed! As I contemplated what God was saying to me though, I saw how true it was.

Candy wrappers, dirty socks, backpacks and footballs are all signs of life in my home. If they were gone, something would be terribly wrong! A healthy garden has both plants and weeds, while a barren plot sits brown, windblown and lifeless. As mothers we will always have weeds to chase out of our homes – the attitude we do it with is for us to decide.

Does that mean we give up and let everything go? Of course not! There is balance – finding it is the challenge, and unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all formula. For myself, it’s been taking a deep breath and moving the kid’s books from the top ledge in the closet to a shelf they can actually reach (was I really that OCD?) and not freaking out every time the house gets trashed.

If God hadn’t spoken to me about the signs of life around me, I would have missed out on the fun games of Skip-Bo with Corey, or playing catch with Ty in the back yard. I wouldn’t have gotten to enjoy those moments of closeness with Amy as we colored pictures together and I never would have seen the fight on Animal Planet between the lion and the “hynena’s” with Kobe.

I still appreciate a candle burning on a clutter-free table. I also continue to organize my days in a way that allows me time to keep a relatively clean home, but I’m learning to offer grace each time the children miss a couple of toys when cleaning up. I’m trying harder to overlook the times the couch cushions get turned into a clubhouse or juice spills appear under the kitchen chairs.

They are all signs of life and I wouldn’t trade those for anything!

About the Author:
Lynette Carpenter is blessed to share this wonderful life with her husband, Tim, and their four children, Tyler-11, Amy-7, Corey-5 and Kobe-4. Lynette is also the author of children’s book, “My Brother The Senator” and the creator or CaringKids Chore Cards. On a daily basis you can find the Carpenters somewhere on their family farm, enjoying Ty’s baseball games, running to Amy’s piano lessons, or just sitting in the backyard enjoying a campfire (okay, so the latter doesn’t happen as often as they’d like). Lynette’s passion in life is to grow daily in her relationship with Jesus. Her testimony is one of freedom. “He broke the chains that held me captive to depression, bitterness, anger and unforgiveness. Today, I am full of joy and a peace that is indescribable!” says Lynette. “Life gets crazy sometimes, but God is teaching me day by day to walk by faith and not by sight. He is the reason for my peace! He is the Source of my joy! He keeps me Walking on Water!”

That happens in my life.  Each and every task becomes so much bigger and insurmountable.  We live such hectic, hurried lives in our culture.  We pack in every hour of the day with something and many times we’re accomplishing multiple tasks at once. (I’m eating lunch while typing type this post!)  This sense of being overwhelmed makes it harder for me to do anything adequately.  Especially parenting my children. 

My children won’t go to bed, they seem to get sillier and sillier as the time speeds by.  I just want to get to bed myself.  My husband is at work so it’s just me.  I say a quick prayer for wisdom and then get sucked into a parenting tornado whose aim is destruction.  I say things I shouldn’t, promise consequences I know I won’t follow through on, making the problem so much worse than it has to be.  And when the storm stops, there is devastation.  My son is crying, I’m frustrated and feel like crying too.

It’s only later, after they finally go to sleep, that I sit and talk with the Lord.  I realize it’s been a couple of days and pour out my heart, recounting the devastating storm I just left.  It’s in this quiet and calmness that I hear the Spirit.  He speaks truth into my heart and reveals to me wisdom that can’t be heard in the midst of a hurried life.  Because I allow myself to put my focus on accomplishing tasks, rushing from one thing to the next, I’m no longer focusing on the One who calms the storm.  The One who need only speak and the storm ceases is the one to whom I need to run to and find shelter and security.  I need that time of safety away from the storms of life to hear the still small voice and gain strength to return to my responsibilities. 

How did I miss it?  It’s one thing to know in your head where the shelter or evacuation zone is, it’s another to leave the storm to enter the shelter.  I know I need to be with God, alone in peace and quiet, yet many times the duties of my life take precedence.  Then I get caught in a storm (like the one with my kids) and I don’t know what to do.

If we stop and listen, we’ll hear him quietly say “Come to me” and if we keep our eyes of  faith focused forward on Him, we can walk across the choppy waters and into His arms of peace.

While we all know God determines our steps, I think we all still make plans and are disappointed, maybe even angry when they fall through.  We plan ahead for vacations.  We schedule appointments, plan family activities, even have intentions for the chores we want to accomplish for the day.  When my son was really little, it would sometimes throw me off course when he got sick and I had to change all my plans. (I really thrived off of my time at Mommy and Me classes!) One year I had to cancel my son’s birthday party because I came down with a virus the morning of the party!  And how frustrated I can get when I am trying to accomplish a task and I am constantly interrupted by siblings fighting! 

Or how about the times I’ve been angry when my kids don’t go to bed on time (and interfere with my time). It’s so hard to not get wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of caring for children and not allow our plans and schedules to become an idol.  When our kids are grown up, we will look back and wish we hadn’t spent so much time trying to check off our “to do list” and instead spent more time nurturing the growth of our children. How can we balance the practical aspects of mothering while at the same time remembering to “redeem the time”?

Over the years I had to learn that God has a plan for what I am to accomplish each day and whatever he needs me to do that day, he’ll make a way for it to happen.  I’ve had to hold on to plans loosely and know that there’s a chance I may not accomplish what I think is important for the day.  I often pray, telling God all the things I need to get done and then asking him to help me accomplish whatever is most important to his purposes.  Putting it in his hands relieves me of the stress of carrying the weight of my “to do list.”

I’ve also had to challenge myself in where my priorities lie regarding my intentions for using my time.  In the book of Malachi, Israel is challenged to trust God in their tithe.  God said, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (3:10) 

I’ve found that when I “tithe” my time to God, somehow I am blessed with more.  When I make time for God my priority for the day, I find more often than not, I end up having all the time I need to complete the tasks God wants me to accomplish that day.  I may start out the day feeling overwhelmed by what lies before me and I’m tempted to put my time with God aside, but when I remain faithful to him, everything remarkably ends up getting done.  Martin Luther is known to have said, “I have so much to do today, I shall have to pray for two hours.”

The past month, most of my plans have been turned upside down.  With asthma flare-ups, the flu, strep throat, numerous church responsibilities,etc., I have been reminded that I may plan my course but the Lord determines my steps.  I’ve disliked having to cancel plans and appointments and even opportunities to serve others but I know that God has other plans.  Perhaps He wants others to be blessed by taking over some of my responsibilities.  Maybe he wants me to love on my children while they’re home sick.  Whatever the reason, I have to hold my plans loosely, and be flexible with whatever he places in my path.  The laundry will eventually get washed, I’ll make it to the store before there’s nothing left, and the phone calls will be made in due time.  God knows what is best for my time and when I glorify him in how I handle it and in how I respond to changes, I am promised blessings. 

Will I get to take a shower today?  Only God knows!