The enemy would want nothing more than for my family to stop coming to church.
If any of you have read the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis then you may be able to imagine that the enemy doesn’t need us to “hate” God in order to pull us away from God. The enemy would see to it that we would back away slowly, not completely. It would begin with missing one or two Sundays, looking to others who “watch online”, to compare the ways we are close to Jesus and to say that because of our circumstances being “different” we are excused from corporately gathering… then it would become that Jackson’s class is better off without him… that we are a burden to the church.
The Bible is so clear here though – and if you know the truth then you can discern the lie.
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
And we are all important in the body as the Lord has blessed each one differently, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” (1 Corinthians 12:18)
You may not know that 90+ percent of families with a family member experiencing autism don’t go to church. That 8/10 marriages end in divorce by the time the child is 4 years of age. Or that Suicide is the highest cause of death for young people experiencing autism with only drowning surpassing it.
These numbers tell me that we (special needs/disabilities families) need the church!!!
And that other families need to see us in the church. Pushing through the hard for the joy ahead.
This is not an immediate or tangible joy or a fit of “happiness” in the sense of what we think culturally when we use the term joy. I am talking the deep joy that comes from God alone.
The joy of knowing that in Christ is:
Healing
Forgiveness
Resurrection And Renewal
One thing I have learned is nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me yearn more for our King Jesus’s return than when I am carrying my hurting, sweet boy out of church crying out and unable to recover… hearing him begging to go back to his “big kid” class but lacking the “skills” needed for that day…
the helplessness I feel to see him hurting and longing to belong and no way for me to to fix it…
I also know humility is best learned in the “lab” not by reading others experiences and outcomes but by allowing God to configure the right parts needed to meet you and change you in the season He has you. We are taught to surrender.
And so this I cling to:
God is good
God is good to Jackson
God is good to us.
And God is good in autism.
Lord, enable me and my family not to just keep showing up but to glorify you! That we would show up with empty and outstretched hands so that we may receive the abundant life you have for us. And in that we continue to learn that in YOU and being with YOU is sufficient for all of ours and Jackson’s needs. Amen.
It’s perspective giving to me to see that I posted this two years ago… in this time so much of the day to day has remained the same. The Lord continues to use Jackson and our struggles to grow us, love us and discipline us. And, Jackson is still looking for and finding the light. Sometimes I get frustrated at my humanness and how long I can struggle to fully submit certain seasons to the Lord…
But then I am reminded that slow growth makes us strong and sturdy. I read somewhere that it can take an olive tree anywhere from 3-5 years to produce fruit, it is the trees slow growth that makes it sturdy. Similarly, we can’t fast track our spiritual growth without it being a risk to the fruit being produced.
Thank you Lord for these moments with you 🙌🥺
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Sometimes in the quiet hours of early morning the Lord blesses me in the most unexpected ways.
Every morning of late Jackson has been getting up incredibly early and I find myself grumbling from the struggles of the day before or worse even dreading the struggles of the day to come.
But not Jackson. The very FIRST thing he does each morning is find the light. Sometimes the light gets in through the expected places and sometimes it gets in through the unexpected places.
Regardless, he goes to it, he squats down and he basks in it. After he rests in this light, he then goes and get his “friends for the day” and he holds them up in the light too.
What a beautiful picture of the grace God gives us each day, that enables us to give this grace to others. A picture of how His mercies are new each morning. This morning I paused and stopped in the light with Jackson. We prayed and I paused, I grabbed my Bible and spent some time in the light.
Children are a blessing from God in so many ways. Jackson has a way reminding me of what is important when I forget. For a season I found myself sitting with him (still do) for long hours through the night – often beside the bathtub trying to soothe him. During that season the Lord impressed on my heart, “If you cannot even be still for your son, how than can you be still for me?”.
This season the Lord is using Jackson to remind me that life is found in the light of the world. In the life and grace of Jesus.
Lord forgive me, and help me to not resent these moments and days and months of intense pressure. Help me to recognize the gifts of these moments to help me to strive to enter the rest that is coming. Help me to do all things in the strength that YOU Lord provide.
“Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” Matthew 18:2-5 NLT
Quiet mornings with Jackson before work is one of my very favorite things ❤️
Jackson having a morning snack by the tree
Last week, every morning was chaos. Dogs, child, pee and poop 💩 of all kinds everywhere. Cold and flu season. All of the things. But man, God’s tender mercy got us through.
It’s hard not to be grateful when it’s Christmas time. A time filled with reminders of Promises kept.
🎄 Jesus, the Promised One, came to save and give grace. We cannot save ourselves, but Jesus died in our place so that we could be His forever and made new.
🎄 The Bible holds hundreds of Promises, and Jesus is the answer to each one. In Him, we have hope, joy, peace, and love.
🎄 Jesus came as the Promised One long ago.
👑 Someday, He is coming again to make all things right forever because God ALWAYS keeps His Promises.
🙌 God keeps every last one.
🙏 Cling to this truth today if you need it friend. The holidays can be hard. I remember for so long this time of the year had a sting. It was a reminder of all the things I did not have. I did not have a safe home, family, a warm place to snuggle or a soft place to land. And some years were just dark.
🍎 I can now look back and see that I was hearing the lies of the enemy over the trumpet of grace. I was hearing the lies of the enemy say I was not worthy instead of knowing My King 👑 calls me Worthy.
Because of Christ, I now walk in freedom from the bondage of sin that leads to death. ✝️
The greatest gift of Joy is knowing Christ. You CAN rest in His faithfulness to us now and in the future as we remind our heart’s of God’s faithfulness in the past.
Friend, I don’t know why you may be hurting today- It may be because it is cold and flu season and you have poop all over your house or maybe it’s something deeper that you may not even know how to say –
Let me encourage you with a gentle reminder: HEALING AND HOPE will only be found in Jesus. Not in the Pinterest worthy pictures or elaborate decorations this season.
In Christ alone is rest, joy, comfort. Behold Him this season.
How it started and how it is going! The faithful Love of Jesus! ❤️
5 years ago this week we plugged in at Coastline Christian Fellowship, wholeheartedly committed.
We had visited on and off through the year prior but we had lingering church hurt from prior churches and to be honest we were wrestling with feeling God’s pull – God’s wooing of our hearts AND wrestling with our flesh…
This little church in Olney became and is our family and for Jackson it is “the place of his people”. Jackson greeted and gave hugs to at least 30 people yesterday and shook 4 hands! 🥹😭😭
Jackson’s first visit to Coastline post being in a car seat Jackson helping dad and friend vacuum our kids class room.
A very early (miraculously early) autism diagnosis for Jackson was the hurt, the longing, the fear, the “I cannot do this without you God” moment that changed it all for us. We surrendered and we kept showing up until we desired to show up and we hurt when we missed. 6 months later we began serving in the Minnows room and remain in there till this day. Seasons change but the everlasting Love of the Lord remains the same. He sought us and pursued us…
God pursued Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3) God pursued Hagar when she ran away from her problems. (Genesis 16) God pursued Elijah when he ran from Ahab and Jezebel. (1 Kings 18-19) God pursued Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9) And God pursues us.
Motivated by unexplainable love, God pursues humanity. No matter our state in life — married, single, dating, living for God or running from Him — God seeks to win the affection of our hearts by relentlessly and faithfully pursuing us.
We see a clear depiction of this pursuit in verses, John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The love John refers to in this scripture is agape love, which is sacrificial and considered the highest form of love that exists. This love was costly for God, but He pursued us through the radical act of sacrificing His Son. God’s love is unmatched and far greater than any box of chocolates or bouquet of flowers.
And even more astounding is that God demonstrated His lavish and sacrificial love while we were sinners. He pursued us while we weren’t thinking about Him… Once and for all, God valiantly saved humankind from the spiritual villain Satan when we were in distress.
But God’s pursuit of us did not end with Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. For all our days, He will continue to pursue us with His unexplainable love.
If you long to be romanced and pursued, may this be an encouragement: You are the object of God’s affection. He has relentlessly pursued and will continue to pursue you.
God will not keep you from anything that will make you more like Jesus. For us, Jackson’s autism is a tangible tether between the heavenly things and the earthly things…. But it took us “surrendering” this onto the Lord.
What is the thing that may be hurting you that the ONE who made you and loves you is wooing and asking you to surrender to HIM?
This sweet memory popped up for me today out of my Facebook photos, and I can do nothing else but think of all the ways the Lord has been faithful to us these last five years. 🙏 I had no idea what the path ahead would be – but HE did.
Me changing my sweet son just before he turned a year old
“God’s grace to sustain us through painful circumstances is stronger and is mightier and is much better than any deliverance out of those circumstances.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
🙌 Amen!
God’s grace these last 5 years as I have learned more deeply what it means to be a wife, a mother, and most importantly a disciple of Christ – has been life giving!
God’s grace is greater than any diagnosis, financial difficulty, broken expectation, or hurt. Insert your own hard into this fill in the blank:
God’s grace is greater then my ——————-!
God has great compassion for His children 👇
“but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:32-33 ESV
God allows for us to suffer for a little while so that we will be strengthened and so that our HOPE will rest in Him 👇
“My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Psalms 119:71 NLT
God answers prayer 👇
“Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” Psalms 119:50 NLT
Share His hope and testify of His goodness 👇
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT
Experience the Joy that is ONLY found in God’s presence 👇
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11 NLT
While everything else will fail you and waste away – Jesus can be trusted 🙌
REST in HIM!
👉 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.❤️ My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
Over the last few weeks I have been recognizing some of the limitations that I have allowed fear to place on my life. Specifically as it relates to my parenting. If you follow my postings then you know I have a wonderful 5 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism when he was around the age of 2. Like parenting all children, we experience a lot of hard! Maybe more intensely, for longer periods and in different ways but similarly still to anyone parenting little image bearers and all that it entails.
The last few months we have been implementing social stories and stretching Jackson with new experiences, turns out the stretching is just as much if not more so for his Dad and I, than it is for Jackson. Social stories have been a great tool for getting Jackson back to being able to go inside the grocery store, maintain and enjoy Sunday School at church, and a few other things. Next up on the list has been visiting a restaurant. The last time we attempted to sit down with Jackson inside a restaurant ended with dishes overturned, Mommy and Daddy intensely “talking”, and Jackson going from full meltdown to pure exhaustion for days after…. hence where my fear began to take root.
Over the years as I recognize I am in need of a perspective shift, I know to look to Jesus, there I can clearly see that FEAR IS A LIAR! Our own good Father parents us in such a way that He does not “protect us” from the hard or messy, nor does He prevent all of our sufferings. God loves us so much and is such a good parent – He allows for us to suffer through circumstances while encouraging us to obey, stay strong, and wait…
Last week as I pulled into the Dairy Queen, social story in hand, and a very excited Jackson squealing as we parked – I realized I was gripped with a small sort of panic. I repeated every scripture in my head and heart as I could bring to mind. The Lord was steady, reminding me of His patience and love and acceptance, ABOUNDING in LOVINGKINDNESS and TRUTH. Therefore, I could offer no other response to Jackson. It was then when the van full of people (about 15) pulled in and hopped out before us that I realized that I was still filled with dread! I quickly prayed, “Oh Lord, WHY? Why now of all times that this place is usually empty did this group of people have to come here!” “Why Lord, I am struggling so hard! Please help me and meet me here in this NOW!”
Hand in hand, Jackson and I both head into the Dairy Queen, truthfully we both were a little nervous but trusting in the Lord. When Jackson seen the crowd he scrambled up my legs and I carried him the rest of the way – much like the Lord was carrying me. Isn’t HE just good like that!?
Fast forward, we order food, find the just right table, things are going pretty OK! Jackson loves to watch traffic so this was perfect!
And then, Jackson stands up, arms wide and begins to announce, “Good morning everyone!” Jackson’s form of speech processing will usually keep him repeating until someone responds, and well it wasn’t me he wanted to respond…
I cautiously glance around and it was then that I could see so clearly just how good God is! That big group of people I was grumbling about… well they were ALL intellectually delayed! I seen little heads and people begin to stand up and look at Jackson making his announcements. And then, we heard two replies, “Good morning.” Jackson smiled and went back to playing vehicles and I teared up, feeling full and empty and humble and in awe… isn’t it just like us to sometimes miss the blessing for the grumbling!? As I continued to look around I saw adults with their support workers, young adults trying to figure out to behave in a restaurant just like Jackson! And even a local school district was in the corner doing 504/IEP planning with parents of elementary and middle schoolers.
The entire place was full of these incredibly special people!
God did more than see me – HE met me, filled me and HE reminded me of how HE parents us.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12
In a brief summary this season the Lord is continuously, in His patience reminding me over and over Trust and Obey.
Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid.
Elisabeth Elliot
As Jackson held the attention of this crowd of what I believe were “placed there by God” people, I prayed, I prayed so hard that Jackson would one day share his faith as boldly as he was proclaiming good morning. I prayed that the Lord would continue to bring the crowd (friends) HE would have, to Jackson. And I prayed that HE would never allow for us to be content in our comfort zones… (I know this is like praying for patience) but nevertheless it is what I desire.
SO for the first time Jackson: stayed the entire time in the restaurant, ate actual food (French fries), talked to people he did not know, and ate his VERY FIRST ice cream cone, with sprinkles naturally.
And so as I close, I want to share a quote from Abbie Halberstadt, from her book, Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad:
You might be driven beyond your human capacity for patience and resourcefulness right into the arms of a God who loves you enough to refuse to allow you to stay in your comfort zone, unchanged and unchallenged--- who adores you enough to give you the kind of hard that transforms you from someone who wishes she could live for Him into someone who's doing it right now, even while she doubts her capacity to do to again tomorrow.
I had the privilege this month to sit down with my Sister in Christ, Jan Johnson on her podcast, Just Talking About Jesus. During the show I share a bit of a cliff notes version of my testimony and the muck and mire that our Lord pulled me out of. I have linked it below and it can be found wherever you listen to your Podcast at!
I hope my testimony blesses you and reminds you – that our God is so good, so forgiving, and IS ALWAYS in the process of redeeming.
From the Just Talking About Jesus website: Nakesha Womble didn’t always have a picture perfect life.
She shares her journey from a childhood marred by abuse and trauma to finding redemption and healing through her found faith in God.
Despite facing unimaginable hardships, Nakesha discovers unexpected moments of grace and restoration.
Through candid conversations and personal anecdotes, Nakesha explores the transformative power of faith, forgiveness, and resilience.
From abusive relationships to self-harm and addiction, Nakesha’s story is a testament to the enduring love of Jesus and the miracles that can arise from the darkest of circumstances.
Tune in to be inspired by her journey of healing, redemption, and the profound impact of encountering God’s grace in the most unexpected ways.
Some months back I was blessed in sharing a short devotional on prayer for a very special Momma and her sweet baby girl. The Lord impressed on me the importance of women being devoted to prayer. This message has been coming up for me and the women in my life again recently so I thought I would share some of what the Lord showed me then and what He is showing me now.
Whether you’re welcoming a new baby, serving in your community or walking with a loved one through sickness this season I pray this message be an encouragement to you. I pray God will give you a deeper understanding of the importance of prayer and that you will be filled afresh with a desire to be in prayer. The holidays have a way of magnifying the things around us. Christmas has a way of magnifying the greatest joys of our lives or the deepest losses. Let us choose then to magnify Christ this Christmas season, let us choose to celebrate the greatest gift ever given to us, our Savior. Being in prayer is like putting a magnifying glass on your relationship with Jesus.
Why is prayer in motherhood important?
As women and Mother’s in our community we are uniquely positioned to pray for our children, our leaders, our husbands, friends and for the church. Women interact on average with far more people groups than the men in our communities. Women who are faithful in the mundane everyday moments are more likely to have homes where prayer and worship are modeled on an everyday basis. In my own life I have seen this, our home visibly begins to fall apart when our/my prayer life begins to fall apart. This last year I have been praying diligently for my son, Jackson. Jackson has a diagnosis of Autism, this particular diagnosis comes with a certain reality that we have to learn to wisely manage and maneuver with during these formative and foundational years of his life, Jackson will be turning 5 this month. In my own strength I could not handle the sleepless nights, the isolation, the rigid routines and structure he needs or the series of doctors and therapists who want to tell me the best way to raise my son.
OH, BUT THE GOODNESS OF GOD!
In His strength I have found all of these and so much more.
Matthew 21:22, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.” John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name I will do it.”
The Lord has answered many specific prayers for Jackson this year, that he would:
Have a desire for relationships and be able to tolerate being close to others. Jackson greets everyone from the coffee shop in our Church every Sunday morning. Jackson is the first to notice if someone is upset and will guide me by the hand to go pray for them. And although it is a little scary at this age, he will graciously give out hugs to any and all!
That Jackson would begin to have functional language and words. A year and a half ago Jackson could only sign three words and would communicate by names of sea animals and vegetable categories. A year ago he said, “I love you” for the first time. And in these last 6 months he has began to use phrases and can express when he feels hungry or thirsty, if he wants to do an activity, and he can make some choices without becoming overwhelmed to the point of a meltdown.
These are all things I have real fears over that I continue to choose to take to the Lord in prayer. And this is only a tiny amount of all the things I am weak in that I NEED GOD’S STRENGTH to survive and thrive in.
Another praying mother…
Most of us remember Hannah of the Bible, Samuel’s mother. Hannah poured her out soul to the Lord for year’s pleading for a son and eventually God granted her prayer requests with her son Samuel, who Hannah dedicated to the Lord. Samuel grew in wisdom, became a great prophet and judge, and led the Israelites to victory over the mighty Philistines.
Throughout scripture we are told that God desires, invites, and hears our prayers. What a gift He has given us! The psalmist writes, “As for me, I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17)
Despite knowing that God invites our prayers, we often struggle with how to pray, what to pray, and what to expect from our prayer lives. In the west, we are especially a results driven culture and we tend to have a utilitarian outlook on prayer. We pray to God to ask for HIS help with our problems. Of course asking for God’s help and provision is one important part of prayer, but mostly a pragmatic, problem solving approach to prayer misses the deeper and beautiful truth about prayer:
We are meant to have a relational outlook on prayer. Not a practical one, as we pray we can and should view God as a loving Father who cares deeply for us. He wants to hear about our deepest pains AND our grandest hopes. He wants to know the ways we need HIS help.
He also wants you to LISTEN for HIS voice. Prayer is not mainly about solving problems; it is about experiencing our relationship with God. Though prayer is relational and thus not formative, we do need to know something about how prayer works.
In Matthew 6 we find the famous Lord’s Prayer and some introductory comments Jesus made about it. In this text we discover a basic guide for how to pray, as well as encouragement and warning about our attitude towards prayer.
Matthew 6:1; 5-8 – HOW WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT PRAYER
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling on like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
This tells us and the audience of the danger in making our prayers a performance.
Matthew 6:9 -13- A GUIDE FOR PRAYER
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“This then is how you should pray”. These are the introductory words to the Lord’s Prayer and before we get into the prayer itself, it is important to notice a key word in this opening phrase, “HOW”.
Jesus says that what he is about to tell us is an example for us. It is a guide to the manner in which we ought to pray. It is a script. He did not say, “this then is WHAT you should pray”. We should think of the Lord’s Prayer as a rough outline or template that we can go through when we pray. It helps us to make sure our priorities are in order and that our heart is in the right place.
Let us continue now with the prayer itself and not the order of thoughts.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (recognizes who HE is – the person / Adore Him because of who He is and give Him praise)
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (seek to do His will, His word is the path to finding His will and your purpose)
Give us today our daily bread. (ask God to meet you even in the mundane tasks, what you need to accomplish your spiritual duties, this is an example of PETITION)
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (ask God to forgive your debts or failures in obedience due Him, this is an example of PARDON)
And lead us not into temptation, bur deliver us from the evil one.” (seek a way to escape the evil of temptation, an example of PROTECTION, this is not asking for a removal of trials but of judgment when you are overcome by trials)
A number of Biblical commentators and theologians over the centuries have recommended praying the Lord’s Prayer line by line. And then elaborating on the specifics from your own life. For example you could pray something like this, “Give us today our daily bread. Lord Jesus you know what I need. Please help me to trust in your provision and be thankful for all the things you have already given me.”
WHAT ABOUT PRAYER LIFE OVER THE LONG HAUL
What about our prayer life over the long haul, over time? We can once again find clues about this in something else Jesus said in the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-6).
Luke 18;1, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
The final phrase of verse 1 “always pray and do not give up”, doesn’t mean to “always pray and keep on praying” which would be one basic idea stated two ways. The phrase conveys two separate, related ideas. The “not give up” part is a translation of a greek word that has to do with being discouraged or loosing heart. So we might translate that last phrase as “always pray and do no loose heart or become discouraged”. Jesus is telling that persistence in prayer and avoiding discouragement are linked. Then Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow.
Luke 18:2-5, “
2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus was saying that even if an unjust judge hears the pleas of the widow and responds, how much more will God, who is a just judge and loves His people, respond to the cries of His church?
Jesus finished with a rhetorical question: When the Son of Man (Jesus) returns will He find faith on earth? This question relates directly to prayer; which is what the parable of the persistent widow is about. Will Jesus find people who are still believing in Him, praying and trusting in Him despite life’s challenges?
The point is this: Our endurance in prayer – or lack thereof – tells us something about whether we really trust in God. When we continue praying over and over it is a testament to the fact that we keep believing God is real, that He is there, that He is listening and that He cares. It is not about that perfect words, even if our prayers are clumsy and intermittent, the very fact that we keep praying is an expression of our trust in God. Our prayers are real conversations with our Heavenly Father.
We should always pray and not loose heart, “I love the Lord for he hear my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)
In closing, if you are still with me, I would like to offer a few encouraging examples of faithful women who changes history through having a faithful prayer life:
Susanna Wesley raised her sons (John one of the greatest evangelists of the 1700s speaking to crowds of more than 20,000) and (Charles who wrote 9,000 hymns still sung today) in a home dedicated to the word of God and prayer. In the midst of raising 10 children, she would spend two hours a day in personal prayer. On the days she could not find a place of solitude she would lift her apron over her head to be alone with God.
George Washington was inwon for his humility, perseverance, and dignity. His mother Mary raised him and his siblings as a single mother after her husband died when George was 10. It is recorded that she went to a nearby rock outside of her house to pray continually. George wrote letters to his mother while on the battlefield of the Revolutionary War, that he escaped death when bullets went through his coat and horses were shot out from under him. Miracle after miracle happened to George and he honored his praying mother with these words, “all that I am I owe to my mother”.
Billy Graham has led nearly 3 million people to freedom in Christ and has preached the gospel to more than 80 million people during his lifetime. He has said of all the people he has ever known, his mother, Morrow, had the greatest influence on his life. She would gather the family together to listen to the Bible and to pray together. She and his dad would pray for Billy at 10 each morning.
Every christian mother contending, interceding and praying for her children had the potential to change the course of history for God’s glory. Let us rise up and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might as we pray to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever think or imagine.
So how should we pray?
Honestly
Consistently
With the main goal being a deeper relationship with God – to experience the joy of unhindered access to God and a relationship with Him.
When the Son of Man returns, will you be found in Faith?
In today’s world I have unfortunately found that in my desire to make things orderly, I often have my “self” at the center of that need. Not desiring to make things orderly for the glory of God but to minimize my ordinary workload. I will admit much of this is not original to me, but it has blessed me and continues to sanctify me…
Looking back in Genesis – Adam and his helper, Eve, brought order to God’s earth with goodness, thoughtfulness, and authority. They imaged God and brought Him glory. There was dignity in their everyday lives because their work found its origins in God’s command.
As mothers, we continue to reflect God’s character in each moment as we conform to to His likeness. Ordinary moments existed before the fall and they were not demeaned or dismissed by God. Instead they were good and valuable for the flourishing of life.
Unfortunately, Eve wasn’t satisfied with the fullness of God’s provision in Eden or the knowledge and responsibilities He had given her. Instead she listened to the serpent, who tempted her to seek the extraordinary… becoming like God himself. 🍎
She was the first human who wanted to step outside of the ordinary, human, limited bounds of God’s command into something greater, godlike and unlimited.
This spills over into our lives today when we want to skip over todays mundane – wiping counters, cleaning messes, sweeping, diaper changes, emails, bills, and so on…
When we do this we stop finding our identity in who we are (image bearers of God) and start trying to find it in what we do. But when we start to rank the value of our lives in external circumstances, we will NEVER be content with our day-to-day lives.
As long as we pride ourselves in being able to speed through normalcy so we can get on to the better parts of life, we’re walking in the faithless footsteps of Eve. 🦶 🚶♀️
God works in both ugly, and the mundane to bring new life, redemption, and his sovereign plan to fruition, and such is the same for those indwelled with the Holy Spirit. All the moments of our lives – ordinary and extraordinary- will give us reason to fall before the Lamb on the throne, worshipping HIS worthiness in ALL things.
Being thoughtful with our time is a good thing but my/our deepest longing for glory and purpose is found in Christ.
👉🏻It might be mundane to fold laundry, but its extraordinary to do it patiently with joy and a heart of love. 👉🏻It might be mundane to sit on the couch and read another book to a whiny four-year-old, but it’s extraordinary to show kindness and mercy to an undeserving sinner. 👉🏻It might be mundane to fill the fridge with groceries, but it’s extraordinary to praise God for his provision. 🙌Our everyday moments might be ordinary, but when we accomplish them while displaying the fruit of the Spirit, they reflect our extraordinary Savior.
Social media has impacted our lives in so many ways – the lie of comparison dramatically impacts us (especially women) in the areas of how we keep/style our homes, how we dress, and how we parent. But it also impacts how we view and treat our spouses. The expectations that we have for our spouses.
The great news for Christian women – we acknowledge a higher calling placed on us as wives AND the Gospel gives us a better way!
Creation: Imaging God in unique ways, Adam and Eve were created differently from one another but those differences were not divisive – they were assets. They needed one another to complete the tasks given to them by God. In Eden they were unified, two becoming one, as they selflessly worked together. Living out a beautiful picture of love and harmony through worship of God alone.
Fall: When Eve doubted God had a good design for her life and union with Adam, sin and division entered the world, forever changing the marriage relationship. Now instead of being unified as husband and wife, we can act like two individuals sitting opposite of each other. Instead of out-loving one another, we look to our marriage to fulfill our own selfish desires. And if we’re Mothers – we can have the tendency to hide behind our children who we grant unconditional love to while holding our Husbands to an unattainable standard. We often live as an “I” instead of an “We” because being in a union requires us to die to self.
Redemption: Jesus loved us more than any earthly Husband ever could. Living a perfect life and purchasing our union with HIS Life. Through this sacrifice, Jesus displayed only what marriage can shadow – the Covenant love between God and His people. This love paved a way so that we could die to our selves and this happened when we were justified before the Throne. This is then played out over and over again as we are refined and sanctified for our future glory. Through Jesus’ death we are made right with God and we are one in Christ.
This is great news for believers! The same love that was in Christ to motivate Him to be patient with needy people. Kind to those who hurt Him. And long suffering for those who didn’t follow His instructions – this love is in us!
His love took Him all the way to death on the cross for us.
In Christ – this is the same love a wife can have for her Husband!!
No matter how your relationship may be with your Husband today – Let him see the work of Christ in YOU! Let Christ’s love in you be greater than your own prideful heart.
What are some things you can prayerfully work on in the way you view and interact with your Husband?
The Meek Momma 