Every Day Life

So I once read that in order to keep a blog going you need to post entries often. Oops. I guess by now I have lost even my two faithful readers. Well, maybe someone will drop in and be surprised!

I haven't exactly known what direction to take with this here ole blog. Since BabyGirl was born I've realized that I want to keep her protected and it makes me uncomfortable posting pictures of her here...but who wants to read a blog with no pictures?  And if I can't post pictures of her, what on earth do I write about??? So, just bare with me as I figure that out. Hopefully it won't mean so much time between entries...but who knows. I'm not making any promises. I know you are sad about that.

I thought I would start with a significant lesson I've learned since becoming a mommy. It's one of those things that you know, but until you experience it it's just not real to you. 

I will be real with you and tell you that I have struggled getting in God's Word since BabyGirl was born. Certainly not because I didn't want to...in fact quite the opposite...but WOW has life been a whirlwind since September 14th. I mean, I tell you what...what the heck did I do with my time before I had a baby I would like to know?!?!??? Why wasn't my house spotless? Why did I not have homemade meals AND desserts made daily? Why did I ever get backed up on laundry? Why did I ever get behind on crafts I wanted to create? Seriously...what did I do back then? Shame on me for ever having a messy house.

Hm...I got a little off topic there.

So yeah, struggling with God time. I remember when Erin was just a couple of weeks old I mentioned something about needing to spend time with the Lord to my mom. I will never forget her response. She said, "New moms are such easy targets for Satan. It's so easy to let the time you used to reserve for the Lord be taken up with baby, cleaning, cooking, marriage, sleep, etc. Don't fall into that trap."

I learned two things from this comment.

1.) Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Just a simple, daily conversation became a huge moment for me that God used significantly. My mom could have not responded. She could have just said something like, "oh yeah that's important," or "yep, better be sure to do that."

But she didn't.

Instead, out of the overflow of her own relationship with the Lord, she spoke life into my heart. She seized the opportunity, just as the Word says, "talk about them when you sit...walk along the road...lie down...get up."

Here is lesson numero uno: Every moment of my life in raising Erin should be saturated with things of the Lord. I remember one day when Erin was about 2 months old driving to the church. I noticed the leaves were changing colors. E was in the backseat and like I usually do I was talking to her. (At this stage in the game she tended to fuss in the car unless we were talking or singing...loudly...on this particular day I chose talking to spare us both.)  My mind went back to this conversation with my mom and the above scripture popped into my mind. I began talking to her about who changes the leaves' colors. Then I began talking about who God is and who his son, Jesus, is. I told her how much I love Him and how her only purpose is to serve her Saviour, Jesus. I realized while doing this, that it's so easy to just get lost in the busyness of life that I forget to purposefully raise my child.

It's easy to raise a child. Clothe her, feed her, bathe her...take care of her needs.

But to purposefully raise a child...that's different. Every word out of my mouth, every action I make needs to directly flow out of my relationship with the Lord. Every interaction with E must point to the Savior. Everything I teach her I better back up with scripture. Everything we do as a family needs to be backed up with scripture. Everything we do...what we eat, what we watch on tv, what we read, how we treat others, what we study in school, how we spend our time, EVERYTHING must relate to scripture. How else will my beautiful baby learn that her life's purpose is to serve Him?

Not just know who He is. Not just know a few verses...or maybe even a lot of verses. Not just go to church. Not just read her Bible.

But to love Him. To crave time with Him. To read His Word and not want to stop because she just can't get enough of it. To love others because she sees them as her Savior sees them. To lay down her own wants, her own desires, her own needs...for His wants. His desires. His needs. A life utterly consumed with her Savior. A life where every word, every action has purpose. His purpose.

So...#1..seize every opportunity to draw the LORD and his Word into conversation and actions.

2.) Do not, under any circumstances let my time with the Lord be pushed to the bottom of my agenda for each day.

So often I go to bed and realize that the only time I spent with the Lord was when I prayed over Erin that night. Even after my mom shared what she did, I let so much time go by before making it a reality. Having a new baby in the house is hard work. I never NEVER get everything done that I wanted completed that day. I so desperately want D to come home to a house that doesn't look like a bomb went off and have something ready for dinner that is more than just week old (or more realistically probably more like two week old) pizza in the fridge. For a time, I let these desires become more important than getting in my Word.

However, I realize that I can never be the wife or mother I desire to be...called to be...if I'm not keeping Christ in the forefront of my brain and heart. So often the statement my mom shared runs through my brain, reminding me that I do NOT want Satan to get any satisfaction out of anything in my life. I will not be one of those new moms who slowly, over time realizes that she little by little put her husband and children in place of her Savior. Satan will not get that satisfaction out of my life.

I LOVE being a mommy. BabyGirl is amazing. I pray desperately I can be the mommy she needs...the mommy God calls me to be.

-Megan