Dig Deep Mama: Your Child Needs

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25 NIV

Tip Two: Your Child Needs

Are you a mother of school age children or do you know one? Each week for 5 weeks only, my devotions, short videos and LIVE (Facebook and Instagram) on Tuesdays will be devoted to you: moms of school-age kids. 

I want you to hit the ground strengthened for the fall and help you navigate another uncertain and ever-changing season. Moms, you got this! You do. And I’m going to spend a few weeks helping you get stronger than ever.

Last week in the LIVE sessions, we talked about FUELING UP. I reminded you that this work of raising kids is wildly fierce and worthy work. I gave the example from the Hellenistic times of the Spartans, who had a whole breeding program. They chose the strongest women to marry and be the mothers. Why? Because they knew these mothers would raise fierce and formidable men. 

That was approximately 400- 300 BC. Today, I like to think of myself as a Spartan woman! We are  moms who are strong, educated and able, ready to raise fierce formidable men and women.

I gave you two tips: 1. Take time (for yourself), and 2. Ask for what you need. Look back at the LIVE session to get more color on those tips. 

Today’s tip: Your child needs.

When I was giving birth to my sons, David and Aaron, well over 20 years ago, I knew it would be painful. I didn’t relish the thought of pushing babies out of my body through a small opening. But, instead of focusing on my pain, (and yeah, of course I was jolted into the reality of my pain plenty of times), I focused on what it was like for David and Aaron to be uncomfortable as they made their way down the birth canal, out of my body, and WHOP! into a cold, harsh, loud, uncertain world. Putting my focus on them as I was in labor, caused me to care for them (even as I was in crazy pain), and rev up my motherly moxy to help them make it through!

You may be feeling right now like your child is missing out. They need their friends. They need their schools and it should look like this. They need _________. Go ahead, fill in the blank. 

But here’s the truth: God (and you may not believe this part, but I’ll believe it for you) has allowed your child to be in this place and they’re not missing out on anything they truly need right now. No really—they’re not missing out on anything they truly need.

Your child needs you. Your child needs a meal with a family (even if it’s you and the child only) together. Your child needs independence. Your child needs to be bored and discover what creativity may be born out of that boredom. Your child needs quiet time to continue to discover who they are. They need to be still at times and listen. 

Your child has everything they need within reach. They really do.

Dig deep, mama. You got this.