Overwhelmed by My Blessings: Encouragement for Moms (Part 11)Sample

The kids are bickering non-stop and you need a whistle to stop the noise. You are settling arguments all day, judge and jury. The days seem filled with endless discord and turmoil, like the long winter when there is no sun. Will this ever change? You feel like the enemy of your children and are losing hope that they can possibly learn anything positive from you. Where is the good in all this? I remember feeling like this plenty of days. One day, while tending our vegetable garden, I came across a very large, overgrown cucumber. Cucumbers have to be picked daily during the hot days of summer, and though I grow them on a trellis, somehow I had missed this one. You see, it was too low to the ground, covered by the green leaves of the vine. I had missed finding this very large cucumber because I had not stooped low enough to find it. Could this be what happens, even with our children? Could the daily grind of our lives be covering over what is really going on in their hearts? Maybe there is fruit, and we just haven’t stooped low enough--on our knees--to see it. Today, pray for a glimmer of that growth! Ask Him to show you just a bit of the fruit growing even in the messiness of your relationships. He will show you. But maybe you need to be on your knees to see it. Father, please show me just a glimpse of your goodness at work in the life of this particular child that is heavy on my heart. Give me the humility to stoop low, to search for You at work when all I see is a tangle of growth, but no good fruit. I choose to believe You are there. I ask You to give me patience and persistence to not give up until I see what You are wanting me to see. May my love for this child be enlarged.All the mom thoughts and crazy questions. You know you’ve asked them, or at least thought them. You are doing and saying things you never dreamed!

“If I have to say it one more time!....”

“Don’t stand on your brother’s head!”

“Could you PLEASE hurry up?”

“Are you freaking kidding me??!”

You even sound like your own mother, which you swore would never happen. We are so inadequate to handle all these situations. No one ever told us it would be this difficult. Our moms certainly never did, because they wanted grandchildren!

In 35 years of raising my children here’s what I discovered: if I was connected to the Source, His fruit was there. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. But when I was not connected, fruit was still there. Bad fruit. Unkindness, harsh words, discord, impatience. It’s like my Holy Spirit connection had a crimp in it. In the midst of all the chaos, crying, rolling eyes, and huffy attitudes, I forgot to stay connected. My circumstances became larger than my relationship with Jesus.

Staying connected to Jesus takes constant effort. Learning to abide in His presence takes practice and more practice. It’s redirecting our thoughts when they jump to the worst-case scenario. It’s reminding ourselves that He is for us and is working even these hard things for our good. It’s seeing Him even in the sunshine or a flower and hearing His voice in the wind. Staying connected to Him is being thankful even when there is spilled milk in the car or coffee on your new rug. It’s staying connected to Him in prayers offered over food, but more importantly while we are wiping a bottom, or holding our angry and harsh words. Staying connected is moment by moment, conflict to conflict, grace upon grace. I’m still practicing.

He is here and will never leave us. His hand is extended, the door is open. He invites us to remain with Him where His abundance never runs out. Will you join Him?

Father, my desire really is to stay connected to You. I know the fruit I often produce is not beneficial for me or my family. I allow my overwhelming circumstances to lead me rather than waiting on You and being mindful of the power Your presence gives me to choose Your fruit. I know You are near, but I so quickly forget. May my heart and mind be tuned to You, my strength. Thank You for your love and patience with me. I begin today to look for You in all I do and all I see.