Messy and all…
Good morning, sweet Rise and Shine friends!
I cannot believe it is mid July. This Summer, as always, is whizzing by.
Recently, as I was browsing the aisles of Target, I came across the “school supplies” aisle.
Goodness, how quickly my mind went to sweet memories of picking out folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, calculators and loose leaf paper with my children.
Back to school shopping was one of my favorite days of the whole year!
My Mom and Mother in law would always take the kids clothes shopping for back to school as well. It was such a gift to me, and I hope to do the same for my grandchildren one day!
Often, I wish I could go back just one more day of my kids being small. Just one more day.
What would I do different? Goodness, probably many things.
Yet, I pray often that God will cover those mistakes I made. That He will make right anything that I missed or did “wrong”.
If you are a mother, you can probably relate. No matter how old our children are, mothering is always an opportunity to serve, to love, to guide, to listen, to teach.
Mothering is a job that never ends.
Which, thankfully, also means that every day is an opportunity to be the mother God desires us to be.
The world puts a lot of pressures on us as mothers. To be perfect. In every way.
God is not looking for perfection, He just wants us to talk to Him. To seek Him, to pray to Him. To spend time with Him.
God wants our hearts more than anything else.
He also desires our time.
I cannot think of a better expression of showing love than spending time with my children. It fills my tank like nothing else.
Surely, God feels the same about us!
We often complicate relationships by putting demands and conditions on them.
Ugh.
Thankfully, Jesus does not do this to us.
He wants us to come as we are!
Messy, broken, used up….
He just wants us to come.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus meets us right where we are…in the middle of the mess.
I hope my children feel the same way about me.
I hope they know that they don’t have to clean up, or change, or strive to be perfect to please me.
I hope they know that I want to be with them without conditions.
No matter where you are in your faith journey, God always desires to be with you. Yes, YOU!
You are His favorite!
We can learn so much about parenting just by being with Jesus.
He comforts us. 2 Corinthians 1:4
He delights in us. Psalm 18:19
He loves us. John 3:16
He is patient with us. Psalm 103:8
He forgives us…over and over. Psalm 103:12
He listens to us. Psalm 66:19
He protects us. Psalm 91
He defends us. Isaiah 54:17
He never keeps score. Psalm 103:3-4
Let God’s Word bring your heart peace. Let His Presence fill you with so much JOY! He loves you. More than you will ever fathom.
Exactly as you are.
the pressure is off,
jill
