Back to "normal"

Mom is now gone, and Ainsley and I are back to our usual routine. I've gotten quite a bit done this morning. Folded some laundry, unloaded and reloaded dishwasher, hung up some clothes and started getting the maternity clothes out of my closet to move upstairs until next time. Pumpkin is swinging in her swing right now and smiling like a little doll.

Here's a pic of her today in a 0-3 sleeper! The newborn size sleeper that she wore last night was too small so I thought I'd see how this one fit today. My baby is growing...

During my pregnancy I got an email from a friend that so moved me. It was a devotional about mothers. Being that Shawn and I are so involved in ministry, it was hard for me to change my way of thinking about my involvement - although I plan to do as much as I can, things are different now. Anyway - I thought I'd post this devotional. It moved me again when I read it today. (I know it's kinda long... but, hey, this is my blog. I can do what I want. Hehe.)

You may have more in common with one of the great men of the Bible than you realize.

Example: He’s a shepherd in the desert of Median taking care of his sheep. He’s been a shepherd for forty years. It’s a lonely job. He doesn’t see a day when he will change jobs. His name is Moses.

One day it’s different. Moses sees a burning bush that defies being consumed by fire. In the burning bush he hears God say his name. Moses starts toward the bush, but God tells him to take off his shoes because he’s standing on holy ground.

God tells this ordinary shepherd that he has been chosen to go to Egypt to set god’s people free. “Who? Me? I’m just a shepherd!”

But God liked Moses’ credentials of faithfulness, and to get them on his resume he was given a temporary job assignment that produced steadfastness and allowed lonely times in the desert, which, in turn, gave him prime time to talk with God. He was being shaped and prepared for the Exodus Extravaganza.

God’s final statement carried Moses through some difficult times when Moses was trying to convince Pharaoh to let the people go. God told Moses that he wouldn’t have to go down to Egypt and carry out his job assignment “empty handed” … and you know the rest of the story.

What do you have in common with this great man of God? The day you arrived home with your baby, your first response to each day was imposed on you by a hungry baby’s wake-up call. Since then, you haven’t punched a time clock and you haven’t had regular coffee breaks. They don’t come with the job. It’s routine. You don’t see a day when you’ll change jobs.

Listen to the dynamics of your job! Every day you feed, clothe, talk to, hold your baby; you are standing on holy ground. You are caring for a human being who has been made in the image of God, and your baby has the potential of becoming one of God’s children. No one has to remind you what’s in store for God’s children.

You may not have long periods of time to spend with God, but you must create some times to be with him, not necessarily long times but prime times. Why? It’s the only sure way to overcome the sneaky techniques of a world that works overtime to keep you from understanding the depth of being faithful at your job as a mother.

During your Closet Times, you and God plan your counterattack against false advertising, and he helps you ignore the distorted voices of a secular world that is opposed to family as God designed it. Those are the voices that say, “Parenting takes too much time,” “You’ve got better things to do.” “Your baby is slowing you down and keeping you from being all you can be.” “Your child will never express his appreciation for all you’re doing.” “It’s not worth it!”

Closet Times help you distinguish God’s voice from other voices that deter you from being the mother you know you can be. They give God time to shape you and prepare you to lead your child through each phase of his life, even when you can’t see the end results of your hard work. And here’s the clincher: Every time you leave your Closet Time, you know you don’t have to face your God-called job empty-handed.