by Maria Lucia G. Jimenez
The demands of life being a wife and mother of 4 sometimes gets most of my time. The Lord always reminds me to put first things, first, which is to make Him life’s top priority. I remember years ago, we attended a conference, and the minister shared ranks of priorities and challenged us to write down the ranking of each (God, Wife/Husband, Children, Work/ministry). I always had this in heart. So, I’d make it a point to wake up early, set a “quiet time” to read His word and journal. As years passed, many times I’d miss my time set for Him & I’d feel guilty. Then I realized, I was going through the motions of “doing” not enjoying fellowship with Him. My perspective changed when my husband came from International House of Prayer. He shared that devotions with our Heavenly Father must lead to encounter. Now, I am excited daily to see what Papa (God) has to share with me through His Word in His presence.
Psalms 16:11 says, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
I remember about the life of a monk named, Brother Lawrence, in book entitled, “Practicing the Presence of God”. In any given moment, he would enter into the presence of the Lord. He’d meet with God while he was doing the dishes, cleaning the yard, etc…
He continually sought God. This became a bedrock in my life as I did my best in the hustle and bustle of life, our Papa is willing to meet us in every situation. When I think about this truth, I am reminded of this short article, I read by Kelsey Shade entitled: “A Screwtape Letter for the Unappreciated Mom”. This article highlights areas of our lives that we need to protect if we want to recognize and encounter Papa in our daily routine.
- Our Attitude: If we are always exhausted or cranky, it will impact the unity we have with our husbands and family.
- Our Focus: We have to learn to broaden our focus beyond our pains, struggles, and difficulties. If we can broaden our focus to look for Him, we will begin to see and recognize God’s presence in the little things of our lives.
- Our Values: It is easy for us to value productivity over everything else and not correctly value rest. Sometimes the most important thing for us to do is to rest and take a moment to listen for our Heavenly Father.
- Our Sense of Worth: Our worth as a person is not found in our role as a wife or mother. We are complete in Christ. We are loved because God has chosen to love us. Nothing we do can change this love that He has for us. We must never lose sight of this.
- Our Satisfaction: It can be hard for moms to feel a sense of satisfaction because our work is never done. When we are exhausted, we can begin to resent the sacrifice and effort that we have to exert for our families. We can develop a feeling that all our kids and husband do is take, and all we ever do is give. Let’s remember the sacrifice our Papa made for us. He loves us and offers a peace that is greater than our situation. Our Papa knows how to satisfy the desires of our hearts if we let Him.
So dear mothers like me: Always remember who you are in Him. You are His beloved! Enjoy your time with your Papa. He is waiting for you.
