Today I am excited to introduce you to our guest, Sarah Van Beveren. Here is a little bit about Sarah:

Sarah and her husband live in Canada, where she is a stay-at-home mom and future homeschooler to their three little girls. She loves coffee, reading, researching, and studying God's Word. Her mind is always racing, and so she organizes those thoughts with written words. Writing helps her to hear God's voice, work through the mess, and seek out His truth. She recently started blogging at Truth in the Journey.

Sarah writes:

Defeat.

At the end of a long day of parenting, I feel it. I look around my house and see mess. Mess on my floors and mess in my heart. I pick up toys, clean up dishes, throw in the laundry. I remember the tears, the sibling fights, and the words that I used to wound. I feel drained and lacking, praying for the encouragement to press on tomorrow morning.

I have a feeling that I’m not the only one experiencing this.

The mundane of motherhood is starting to sound cliché. We’re all reading about it, and we’re all writing about it. It resonates across countries and cultures. And while the details change, the result is the same.

We’re all living it.

Because cliches are born out of reality, and the everyday of mothering couldn’t be more real. It’s confusing, it’s busy and often it’s a struggle. But it’s also sacred, and there is rest for us. Not rest in the form of hot coffee and good books, but rest we can possess even in the midst of commotion and disarray. Rest that doesn’t rely on anything this world has to offer. A rest - a peace - that passes all understanding.

We don’t need to try harder. We just need to lean harder.

We have a Savior who is sufficient to cover all of our mistakes and messes. Jesus has cleared us of our debt, taken on our sin and gifted to us His righteousness. Because of His work on the cross, we are no longer slaves to guilt and regret. Christ has triumphed and has set you free to be victorious.

Your defeat is not possible, because the gospel is for mothers too.

It’s for all of us, right where we are. It doesn’t just cover our past and secure our future. It’s for now. We need to preach it to ourselves every day. Every minute if necessary, because we forget how much we need it.

Charles Spurgeon said, “If he gives you the grace to make you believe, he will give you the grace to live a holy life afterward.”

Did you yell at your children today? Did you decline an invitation to play so that you could do something else? Did you give in to the lie that joy can’t be found here?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

We’ve heard it before, but there is power in these words. When you begin to feel guilty because you aren’t being a good enough mother, remember that you can’t be. We all fall short of God’s glory, but he is working a renewal in our hearts and he is patient.

I am learning that at the end of the day, when I feel weary and ask God to give me strength for tomorrow, that is not a sign of weakness. Christian growth occurs when we finally see past our blindness and realize our dependence on One alone. When we believe that we can’t, but God can.

We don’t serve a distant God, but one who loved us enough to send His son. We can’t get through this life alone, and the weariness comes when we try.

Today, let Christ be your victory.

Blessings, Sarah