It’s often said that motherhood is a marathon not a sprint. Yet I wonder if it’s something else entirely; like Nascar where God is the coach of your pit crew and you hear him whisper directions as you round the bend for another lap. Recently, our church went through a series about needing a pit crew and it ended with a night at the races.
Moments volleyed back and forth between snuggling with my son and begging him to calm down as dirt flew up from the track while drivers either lost control of their car or hit another racer in an attempt to make it to the finish line.
As I watched the race, I was struck how those who finished had listened to the instructions from their pit crew and went into the pit as needed for tune ups, blown tires and more. As I watched the race unfold– I saw the connection to being a mom in need of a pit crew while tuning into to God’s Word.
You see little mama, the most powerful tool a driver has is his car — but his car wouldn’t survive even one race without the care it gets from the crew. Pit crews are sometimes called the unsung heroes of the sport. That’s because they keep the car (and the driver) going, but they often get very little credit. This includes the Pit Boss, in real life–God!
God is like that pit crew, he sees when we are in need of refueling or knows when our engine is about to blow from the pressures of motherhood and that is why it is so important to keep in communication with your Pit Crew. Most often when I make the biggest mistakes as mom, it’s because I haven’t stayed in direction communication with him.
1. Refuel Yourself
Kari Jobe recently came to Kearney, Nebraska and she commented that if she didn’t do her personal worship of reading God’s wording, singing or doing devotions then her performance on the stage became routine. It became meaningless instead of being a beautiful lifeline of helping her audience worship God.
If we don’t take the time to connect with God, suddenly mothering become routine and we lose the sight of the blessings our children are. Instead they become a chore. Whether you have time for one passage or time to reach a whole chapter, take the time everyday to open the lines of communication between your spirit and God.
2. Lose It.
So often our lives fill up with obligations and wants on top of the expectations we create for ourselves. At one of the lowest points in mothering, I realized the aspirations of being a homeschooling mom–cooking perfect organic vegan meals while ensuring each child’s homework was complete was my expectation. On top of having two other of my completed manuscripts published by now. I won’t even get into all the things I had signed up for as I thought, “I’m the mom–hear me roar!”
In reality–these expectations and my mile long to-do list set me up for failure. I may have planned life that way but God sure didn’t. As I sat in my Pastor’s office, my eyes were opened to the things preventing me from walking closely with God.
If you know something you’re doing is dragging you down in the race or its interfering with your prayers with God –lose it. Make a pit stop and ask God to show you what it is that is holding you back. Is it your sleeping meds, a poor diet, or that toxic friend or maybe your calendar filled with activities?
3. Praise Him at the break of day
Before you open your eyes, thank God for the breath you breathe and begin thanking him for each blessing he’s given to you. Those who think postive stay postive–it may be a rule of thumb, yet when we focus our attention on Jesus, it changes our hearts towards praising him…suddenly the overwhelming bill pile and cranky kids seems not so bad. It also tunes our spirit towards his and we can hear his voice.
4. Talk to your soul
So often in the race, competitors like Loneliness, Comparison, High Expectations, and Independence box us in…rendering us unable to break free to hear God’s truth. King David could often be heard talking to his soul, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Instead of allowing our failures or the dried cereal on the plastered to the floor and walls speak to us of our worth, tell your soul to “be still for my hope is in God,” When we focus on soul’s attention on God, we’re able to break free from the walls boxing us in.
What tools do you have for your race?
HAS THIS MINISTERED TO YOU? IF SO, WOULD YOU SHARE THE LOVE BY SHARING IT?
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REGISTER NOW for the
2014 M.O.M. Conference ~ BETTER TOGETHER
July 31st – August 2nd
Jacksonville, Florida at Trinity Baptist Church
Registration Information, Location, List of Breakout Sessions, Descriptions of Workshops, Conference Speaking Team, Better Together Conference Flyer, Better Together Bulletin Insert (Full Color), Better Together Bulletin Insert (Black & White), Better Together Conference Cards (Postcard Size)
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