A Holy Calling

Hello friend, it's been a while. My writing has become a bit sporadic. I have longed for more time, more mental space to feel like I can string deeper thoughts together, I have also wondered if the art of reading more than the length of a tweet has become lost in our fast-pace world. Is blogging obsolete? Whatever the consensus is I feel a deep desire to put my fingers to the keys and share my heart with you. I want to talk about the holiness of motherhood. If you're interested, settle in. I thank you for your time. I know it's the most precious commodity. I promise to not waste it but to have you get to the end of this short blog and leave you feeling inspired to yield to the highest calling of motherhood.  

Doesn't it feel like time is going faster? Trying to hold onto our children is like holding water in our hands. It doesn't last. But at the same time the struggle to stay present, to simply enjoy our children, to build a life we have dreamed of is a challenge. Life is busy, fast, expensive, sad, fear filled and exhausting. But I believe with all my soul that we are called to be mothers for such a time as this. We are called to raise children in this culture, in this generation with these battles and these challenges. And that mindset doesn't make me cower in fear or feel like the future is dim when I see the news. No, this makes me rise up and raise my children with boldness and such a fierce love. But we have to fight for this in our own hearts and minds. It's another level of surrender we must get to and it takes not just one time choosing this way, but an every day daily surrender. It's the journey of faith and I know from my decade of being a mother that you will mature the most if you allow Him all the way in as you raise your children.  

As we have grown our family I have become more humbled and more surrendered to His will. I see my own weakness and my utter dependency on the Father. "I cannot do this," I often whisper to Him in the morning. But my weakness is not my shame. It's my way to run to the Shepherd who will gently lead me as I have my young. (Isaiah 40:11) 

If you are in a season with raising young children like I am or if you are about to be a brand new mama I just have a few words of encouragement for you and then I will let you go, as I know full well, your moment to yourself is but a small window. So let me breathe some fresh wind in your sails and breathe courage into your soul that you are the woman called and anointed to raise your children. 

1. What You are Doing is Holy - the mundane, the middle of the night, the playtime and teaching time; it is not valued by our society but it's the most valuable to heaven. It is not just another day, it is the way to lay your life down for your children. It's the gospel every single day and it will fight against your flesh and it will feel like tension but in the tension is where we grow, in the tension is where we meet Jesus. No instrument makes music without tension. Lose the tension, you lose the beauty, the sound, the melody that makes way for praise to come forth. We rise by bowing. So everyday rise in the morning and immediately bow before your Savior. It's a beautiful act both physically and spiritually to show with your posture, this IS holy God. I accept the calling. 

2. You have Permission to Learn - And permission to fail and try and then try again. Brand new moms, you don't know what you are doing and that is ok. Mama who just had her second, third or fourth baby, you have never had this many children before so you don't know what you are doing. Mama whose child just turned a year older, you are now a brand new mom of a child that age and you don't know how to do that yet. Please join me in my effort to give myself permission to learn and to be humble to try and re-try and to fail and to get back up and try something else. In a culture that pushes perfection and the need to show that they have it altogether, lets instead model grace and dependency upon the One who holds it all together.  We are meant to look different. Our children are meant to walk, talk, and live differently. Own it. Live set apart because the world wants to pull them apart. Not today. Not on my watch. 

Did you know the lioness not the lion does all the hunting? Dont' forget that. 

3. Mind Your Mind - The Lord said to me one morning. "I want you to mind your mind. I invite you to pay attention to your wondering thoughts." Wow what an invitation. I quickly realized how negative they were. When I looked in the mirror what I thought about myself was not what the Father thinks of me. When I walk around my home I see the flaws and the marks from the kids and think negative thoughts. But what I should see when I look in the mirror is a body that has been home to seven babies. Two in heaven and five on earth. What strength and selflessness, and I thank you Jesus for this body. And if I want a house that's alive I must accept the chaos of it's living, because the chaos is mine and it's actually beautiful and I know full well the halls will be empty and the mess will be gone. "Take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:5 

4. It's All in Seasons - I have learned so much about the ways of the Lord now that I live in a climate with seasons. Every season needs the one before and the same goes for your children and the same goes for you. Friend, it's not the season for a clean house, it's not the season for smudge free windows. It's not the season for glamorous vacations and sleeping in on a Saturday. You need this season your children are in as much as they do. The present is the present. We miss it so much when we are wishing for the next season to come. I tell myself all the time to stop and enjoy right where they are, because right where they are won't be where they stay. And as they grow I grow too. Enjoy them, enjoy me..enjoy it all. 

I know it's not easy, glamorous or always fun. I know it can feel lonely and unseen. Trust me, I really do know. But Jesus....Oh how He sees you, how He loves how you love the children He has given you. What you do for your children you do for Jesus. He is the calling, He is the keeper. And when you go to Him to fill your cup He will be your Source of joy, creativity, strength and clarity He will fill you to OVERFLOW.  Your every need fulfilled so you can fulfill the holiest calling of raising your children to be lights in a dark world. Rise up mamas. I believe in you. 

Much Love, 

​    Heather