Gems of Motherhood~ Letters to a Mama: 20ish Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Mom Näide

Gem #1

Dear Mama,

Give yourself grace.

This is an ongoing, lifelong process, and it can be applied to almost every area of our lives where we have to serve, lead, protect, and nurture. Unless we are followers and believers of Jesus Christ, we tend to believe that there is no proverbial blueprint for raising children, especially because each child is uniquely different. As a result, frustrations can arise during the process of raising children. I am all too familiar with comparing behavioral patterns between siblings, which can breed an unhealthy landscape if left unaddressed. At the beginning of my motherhood journey, I was far from being saved, let alone walking with the Lord. Consequently, my maternal skills were hit or miss, which resulted in a relationship created from leftover crumbs from various resources - wing it as you go along.

The writer of Hebrews inspires us with the following verse, from chapter 4 as follows: '"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (v.16 NLT Study Bible). The word 'Gracious' is used to describe our Lord, as He is the giver of grace. Knowing this, we can confidently run to Him as our main Source, and pray for a measure of grace, as we go throughout our day and along our motherhood journey. The Lord desires to help us as we steward the children who He has blessed us with, because after all, they are His also right?

As mothers, we can seek practical resources to help alleviate and bring harmony to our homes. As a single mother, this sometimes looked like connecting with other mothers for their experiential knowledge and encouragement. Having an older, or more seasoned voice of reason can help us along our motherhood journey. Remembering that there have been times when we failed to ‘get it right’ is the main catalyst to show ourselves grace. What does it mean to show myself grace look like in the physical? It is necessary to take two steps back from a trying situation and take a moment to view it from a holistic standpoint. It may also look like asking another sister or Mom to pray alongside me, to encourage and help me regain focus on what really matters. Showing grace may look like acknowledging my imperfections and shortcomings as a woman and mother and seeking the Lord’s grace and mercy to carry me through each day. Let us take a moment to reflect on this gem and how it applies to your motherhood journey.

Journal prompt: Take a few moments to pray the scripture from Hebrews 4 and reflect upon the times when the Lord has graced you to overcome challenges as a mother. Then journal about these areas and let them serve as reminders of His grace and mercy over you during your motherhood journey.