Mother, Did You Know?

The air is filled with the sweet smell of hot cocoa, peppermint mochas, and the sights of bundled up, red-nosed babies....Christmas season is here!

Among the hustle and bustle, Advent has begun. The anticipation of Christ. The desire to see all things made new. A God on a rescue mission to save the world from darkness and sin with His own son; a precious babe in a manger. Our Savior's story begins here.

 

Mary, Did You Know?

I have so many favorite Christmas songs. My absolute favorite song is "Mary, Did You Know". I can't hardly get through the song without shedding several tears. There are so many feels! The song, first and foremost, reminds me how humble Jesus was to come to us in the way that he did. Not a King, not floating down from heaven--a helpless, dependent little baby. I'm not sure there's much else that comes quite that close to extraordinary humility. Second, as a mother, I identify with this song in very deep places of my heart.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to be the mother of Jesus. To submit to such a holy calling of bringing God's Son into the world. Her faith was deeply anchored in God, despite her fears I'm sure.

Mother, Did You Know?

If you listen closely to the song, the lyrics ask if Mary knew of all the things Jesus would one day do. Did she realize the magnitude of what this little baby, whom she was holding and nourishing and caring for, was going to accomplish? His unconditional love wrapped in a universal and purposeful plan to save the entire world, including her? 

"Did you know that your Baby Boy 

has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered 

will soon deliver you."

Wow. 

It brings me to my knees in my motherhood.

 

Mother, do you know? You also hold an amazing gift of a child. A child that has been entrusted to you. God has big plans for your little ones, despite how long and tiring the days may feel. Despite how incredibly unfit and inadequate we feel to be mothers. But God knows and sees you. There is no other more perfect to fill this role for your child(ren). Motherhood is a holy calling. Just like He called Mary. We must anchor ourselves in faith that God will do mighty things with and through our children.

Mother, do you know? That what you are doing today will impact many tomorrow. Your unconditional love and sacrifice is a glimpse into the sweetness of the Gospel. Be near to the Lord. Be near to your children.

One of my favorite verses from the Christmas story,

"But Mary treasured up all these things

in her heart and pondered them"

Luke 2:19

As a mother, I'm not sure how else I'd respond seeing the sovereign display of all things heavenly and earthly colliding in a simple stable over my new baby. The Great I Am had come. 

Your greatest gift is Jesus. Cling to Him and teach your children to do the same.

Peace and Joy to you mothers this season!

Merry Christmas!

Am I Doing This Mom-thing right?

"Is she being disobedient? Or does she just misunderstand? Lord, help me know the difference, and give me wisdom to teach and correct her.”

 

As the mother of two daughters (ages four and two), I find myself praying this almost all day long. I've been a parent for four years, but I’m the first to admit I’m still learning. I have spent much of my time searching Scripture, talking to veteran parents, and praying for God's direction as my husband and I raise these little ones. Striving to parent Biblically and knowing how and when to discipline can be a challenge, but with God’s help, I've found a few good bumpers to guide me along my parenting journey that I hope encourages you. 

 

Think First, Then Respond

Take a moment to assess the situation, instead of immediately reacting. When emotions are running high, a knee-jerk reaction can frustrate you and your child. Both of you can lose sight of reality. You know your child better than anyone. Giving yourself time to think can help you determine the right response for the situation. This will help you determine if it is a deliberate act of disobedience or something your child may simply not understand. 

 

Use Teachable Moments

Shortly after my first daughter turned three, I noticed a disrespectful attitude. This was a teachable moment for us, so I took the time to talk with her about our expectations and what it means to have a good attitude. Teachable moments are most effective the first time an offense happens. In the moment you can help your child understand the right choice to make in those situations. This helps you to better discern defiance because you know that if that behavior is repeated, they are willingly choosing to disobey. For younger children who cannot communicate with you just yet (such as befor the age of one, for example), it’s still possible to have teachable moments by talking with them while demonstrating what they should do, like tapping the chair with your hand so they know they need to sit rather than stand. Very young children are able to comprehend many of your expectations before being able to verbally communicate them back to you.

 

Know Their Heart

As a parent it's easy to get in the rut of behavior modification. Because, let's be honest, most days you feel like the house police trying to keep everything in order . . . . it's exhausting! Parenting requires constant attention to identifying repeated offenses and correcting disobedience. It’s helpful to be aware of what is going on in their heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Even at these young ages, their hearts are dictating the choices they are making long before it shows up in their behavior. I have found from being acutely aware of my daughters’ feelings, that situations or transitions that surround her daily can all directly affect behavior and obedience. These are not excuses for disobedience, but taking time to observe the motivation of their actions might help you uncover what they might be struggling with. 

 

Be Firm in Your Decisions

Disobedience has occurred. Now what? Correction and discipline are probably some of the hardest things parents have to do. We choose to discipline because we love our children. We can confidently rebuke them because we are rescuing them from the decisions they are making that could harm them. We need to be willing to correct the sin and point them in the right direction. Discipline is not easy, but if we desire them to know Christ we must help them learn to obey and to hate sin.

 

Bring the Gospel

My favorite part of discipline (I'm sure you're thinking, There is one?) is the end. We can give our children a taste of what Christ offers through the gospel each time we correct and rebuke them. After our four-year-old has admitted her sin and asked for forgiveness,we tell her we love her and we say, "discipline is over!" she immediately turns from tears to a beaming smile and wraps her arms around us. This is my favorite part because our relationship is restored and she sees that her slate is clean. I don’t hold anything against her. And she knows! 

The Bible tells us that Christ died for us so we can have a clean slate with Him and a restored relationship if we choose it. Receiving our children with open arms will show them unconditional love and the powerful love God bestowed on us through His Son. 

Go forth mamas and love those kiddos--God's grace is enough for you too!

 

 

 

(Thanks to a sweet mama friend for dropping this gem off and reminding me we are all in this together!)