Be still...mom

Be still, just for a moment to reflect on this: Being a mom is the most beautiful tough emotional rollercoaster adventure that you will ever experience. It’s the hardest job on the planet yet so rewarding to see growth in this little human that you help create reach milestones and accomplishments. Yet, we are called to be still...

When they are newborns the excitements when they learned to roll over, sit up, stand unassisted, take their first steps or saying they’re first words. The development that takes place in those first few years is so critical and beautiful to see them forming into this little person. Starting with one word then two words together then three then sentences start to form and soon they won’t stop talking. They start to develop this language and learn how to communicate their wants and needs. It’s a beautiful thing even if they can be annoying

sometimes.

To be still…this is something I struggle with a lot as a mom. Motherhood is a busy nonstop, go go go, season where you're on call 24-7. Sure, your husband or spouse is able to help here or there but let’s face it, a lot relies on us moms.

Lunches packed the night before, ordering headphones off amazon so my daughter has them in time for school, picking up a Target order again in the same week so we have enough snacks for lunches, signing the homework planners, remembering to wash the uniforms, organizing, planning and cooking the meals. Tying the shoes, wiping the butts, our lives don’t stop.

There is always something that needs to get done and already 13 things we are doing at any given time. It’s all the things, us moms are rockstars in the everyday life. We try our best to help everyone in the family and beyond with whatever they need. Doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning, being a wife and mother and managing the household can be so exhausting. But yet in the midst of the chaos God calls us to Be Still.

Be still…this is something that I find hard to do as a mom and a Christian. In the midst of my busy schedule with running kids to different activities and therapies it can be hard to find stillness. I know that God calls us to be still. Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

I always thought that this verse meant to rest or relax knowing that God has me. But we need to understand the context of when this verse was written and what was actually going on here in scripture. “Be Still…”, this command is written in the context of a time of trouble and war.

Psalm 119:5, Joshua 1:8 and Luke 5:16 are other scriptures where God is calling us to take time out of our day to pause and meditate on his scripture and be silent with listening ears towards God. It actually is a wake up call for us and not a pass to just think God has us but more of a pause and time to turn our ears to the father and to remember to be alert of his presence. I don’t want to go through motherhood or life and miss bringing his presence with me.

I’m so grateful for this verse and that even in the midst of our crazy busy lives raising our kids God calls us to pause and turn to him. I feel like often as moms we want control, we want to guide and lead our families the best way that we see fit. We are in this role of leadership a lot and as a mom we get asked for everything. But this is saying not my will but your will lord, it re-centers us and refocuses us on who he is. It also humbles us, reminding us that we need him and we can’t do this life without him. We can’t even use the bathroom or take a shower without one of the kids coming in to ask a question or needing something. Yet God intervenes and tells us to pause, Selah.

A friend and mentor of mine sent me a tiny sign recently that I have now put in my bathroom so I see it every day. It says, “Jesus is most at home in your mess.” It’s such a reminder for me to pause and turn back to Jesus. When the kids are screaming and running around like crazy, one kid is naked and peeing on the floor and it’s 5 pm and I haven’t figured out dinner plans and it’s just pure chaos, I turn back to Jesus.

I have learned in my 8 years of being a mom that I can try to do things my way and take control but it quickly fails and never works out. Once I let go and pause and look to the Father he restores me. He refocuses me and calms the crazy in the storm at times. I’m thankful that he reminds us to Be Still.

How can you be still in the everyday crazy of motherhood and what can help you

turn back to the father when life gets crazy? Because mama, it will get crazy but

the key is choosing Jesus in the mess and lifting our gaze to him.

Be still...