Psalm 5:3 “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
Motherhood is not for the faint of heart! When young and inexperienced it is natural to have glorious dreams and plans of holding a precious baby to your breast, breathing in the sweet smell of soft skin, and teaching and raising your little cherub to be a good citizen and follower of God.
It isn’t until you are in the midst of the experience that feelings of inadequacy start to slip into your dreams. So often in my mothering experience I have had the thought, “No one told me about THIS before I became a mother.”
Yet, I realize now that motherhood is just one of the ways that God teaches me to go to Him for all my needs and insecurities. Though I have always tried to spend time with God on a daily basis, never did I feel the need more desperately than when I became a mom. And never did I find the need so hard to fulfill.
The words of the Psalmist should be our prayer as well. “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” But how do you achieve this when you have a passel of children clinging to your legs and constantly filling every waking and sometimes sleeping moment?
This was my dilemma when my children were younger. I understood more than ever my need to spend time with the Lord, soaking in His strength and the comfort of His presence. But I didn’t know how to do it in the midst of the hubbub and exhaustion that life with small children can bring.
Maybe you are experiencing this dilemma, too. As I grew both as the mother of my children and a child of God, my Father gave me simple tools to hear His voice on a daily basis – even when my life was not my own and alone time was not at a premium.
- Find a time to talk with God. Although we can talk to God at any time of the day, it is important to find times to read His word and listen quietly for His voice. We must look for ways to soak in God’s word even when our techniques may not be what you consider optimum. Each person is different. Morning may be best, but if not then choose what is the best time for you. For years, I made nap time my personal quiet time. Even when the kids were past the age of napping I required them to spend alone time in their rooms reading a book or playing quietly. This was when I read my Bible and prayed.
- Expect obstacles. Don’t become frustrated if there are some interruptions or if you are very tired. Quite often I ended up falling asleep myself as regular nightly excursions for crying babies or childish nightmares finally took their toll on my weary body. The key is to keep trying and make it a habit even if you can’t do it the way you wish you could. Even one verse can be a comfort for you if you think about it throughout the day.
- Stay out of the ruts. Don’t do the same thing every time. Ask the Lord for creative ways to meditate on Him, even in the middle of the craziness of mothering. I got myself a CD player and listened to sermons while preparing food or working in the kitchen. This was a great way for me to grow and learn because when a child would interrupt I could hit pause, listen to the need, and then rewind if I missed something. This is even easier today with the Internet. There are so many free podcasts available and so much opportunity to learn and grow as you go about your daily chores.
- Memorize Scripture. To this day I still tape index cards with special verses above my kitchen sink. I read over them and recite them to myself while cleaning up from a meal. You will be surprised how these nuggets of truth will come to you throughout the day, giving strength and encouragement that only God can give.
- Maintain a little order. Try to keep at least one room of the house picked up and in order. Though the rest of our home was usually a disaster, I worked to keep our bedroom under control. That way I had a safe haven to escape to when things got really out of control. Even just a few minutes hidden away praying for needed wisdom gave me the strength and courage to step back into the frenzy of crying babies, grumpy toddlers, and bickering siblings.
If there is one thing I have learned from being the mother of five, it is that this job is not easy. But I have also learned that God’s grace – provided each day as I need it – is sufficient for all that comes my way. More than ever I can say with the Psalmist, “My voice shall you hear in the morning, Lord.” – or maybe it will be at naptime, or midafternoon, or evening?
Do you feel the need to seek God’s help in your daily job of mothering? We would love for you to share in the comment section some of your creative ways of making time to hear His voice. Together we can learn how to order our prayers and eagerly watch for Him.
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