Just a few short months ago I was reflecting on the fact that I don’t have much time left with my oldest child, because you see, she is 15 years old. And now here I sit 39 weeks pregnant with our seventh.
Many might assume that since I have been through this journey of pregnancy and childbirth a few times that I would have it “down” by now. But truth be told, just as every pregnancy and birth is different, so is every child. What I know more than ever now is that while we as moms spend so much time preparing for the birth experience, we don’t often put as much effort into the lifelong labor of love that motherhood is.
The past few months I have had a lot on my mind, I am trying to juggle educating six children ranging from high school to kindergarten, running online ministries, and being a wife to a very busy guy who is growing a company! Let’s just say that preparing for this birth has not been a huge priority amongst all the expectations that I have imposed upon myself.
Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. Oswald Chambers
So, once I hit the end of my 8th month of pregnancy, I chose simplicity. I had prepared my heart to limit our activities, limit my goings out, and to rest. Yep, you heard me correctly… to rest.
Finding rest in the midst of the busiest season in one’s life isn’t easy, but if I can do it, you can too. It takes intentionality, preparation, and even determination. Determination to take a rest seems ironic, but in a society that doesn’t respect true rest it does take determination. You have to learn how to say NO.
No is a complete sentence. It isn’t rude to say, just add a polite thank you at the end.
Learning to develop habits of restfulness is crucial to having the energy, will-power, discernment, and wisdom needed to engage this life-long labor of motherhood.
I think that God has allowed us to experience much of what we go through in pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood of our young ones to prepare us for the long labor we live as mothers. It’s beautiful that He would be so gentle in preparing us.
It starts off with those darn sleepless nights when we are pregnant. Little do we know that they are really preparing us for the late night feedings. It’s part of our motherhood bootcamp course.
Similarly, as we get up night after night feeding the babe, changing diapers, praying them through night terrors, rocking them with a fever at night, we don’t realize in that moment that God is connecting our hearts to one another as we selflessly serve them, and preparing us for our next season of motherhood.
As I am nearing the day when my oldest is heading off to college or whatever adventure God has for her, I reflect on life-long labor of love it has been. And I get that as she is spreading her wings, so to speak, it is preparing my mama’s heart for letting go of her and letting her cleave to a husband one day--someday in the future.
So as my mama heart prepares to let one grow up, I am also preparing my heart to receive a new helpless babe as well and I am in awe of God’s design of our journey. I am finally at a place of really understanding how important it is to surrender it all to Him and that His design is for us to rest in Him throughout this journey, as often as possible.
Those mommy wars, they don’t so much matter anymore.
Caring what other’s think doesn’t really get to me very much either.
Promoting breastfeeding, cloth diapers, or a certain method of schooling isn’t on my agenda. Because none of those things make any of us a good mom.
I may have my preferences, but I get that I am free to make them and that they bear no wait in His value of me or love of me.
I may be a mother, but I am also a daughter of the Most High King and my Abba Father is smitten with me, just as I am over my new babe.
The truth is that we are all on this journey, this beautiful journey of learning and growing as we serve a life-long labor of love. We are mothers, but we also need to take time to just be held by our daddy in Heaven.
Blessings,
Angie
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