Category Archives: God’s plans for us

Sneak Peek #9

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

I (Mary) was blessed with three children in less than four years, and I took for granted that we could have more babies anytime we wanted. But the next pregnancy ended in miscarriage. And the one after that too. I wondered if three children were all we were meant to have.

Six years later, though, Andrew came along. This pregnancy threatened to miscarry also, but he finally arrived, safe and sound, and my joy knew no bounds. As I gazed at his freshly scrubbed newborn face, I was overcome with wonder at how this could be. I’d had two miscarriages followed by an endangered pregnancy, yet here he was, in my arms.

The everyday noises of the hospital environment faded into the background as I took in the wonder of this brand new child, a gift of incalculable worth. And at that moment Teacher-God taught me an important lesson I’ve not forgotten. Using my baby as His visual aid, He said, “Yes, you’re holding a miracle, but don’t get lost in the wonder of this particular baby.

“Every baby is a miracle. My miracle. Though your first three came easily, don’t ever forget that each child is a wonder.”

I’ve thought of that moment hundreds of times, learning to apply the lesson to each of my seven children. But that’s not all. God wanted me to see that He meant it for everyone else’s children too. No child is unwanted by Him, and every life is His miracle. Each one is equally valuable to Him, and He wanted me to view all children in that way.

 

SIDEBAR: PRINCIPLES TO PASS ALONG

  • Knowing and loving God trumps everything else.
  • God’s Word is life’s trustworthy guide book.
  • People are more important than things.
  • Children are gifts from God.
  • No one can out-give God.
  • Count your blessings every day.
  • Love without counting the cost.

Sneak Peek #5

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

In your effort to succeed at mothering, be sure to take advantage of your very best asset: the Lord. Remind yourself often that your children don’t really belong to you but to Him. After all, by the time you found out you were pregnant, He had already been secretly at work for many days.

According to the Bible, throughout those nine months God was quite active in your womb, establishing your child’s personality, will, temperament, and much more, by way of DNA. He was actively weaving your baby’s parts together, readying him for life on earth. Though God did include you in the process, the end result was really a compilation of His choices.

Once your baby is born, it doesn’t make sense that the Lord would step aside and let you own His project. He gave you a critical role to play as the mother, and His hope is high that you’ll invite Him to share in your efforts. He knows it’s a big job with far-reaching consequences, so He offers to help.

It makes perfect sense that God wants to share in the responsibility of raising His children. And on those days when the heavy emotional weight of motherhood settles over you, He wants to share in that too. As you manage your children day to day, the Lord gives you a wide berth to be as creative as you like. But it makes sense to bring Him into the entirety of your mothering, since He knows your children even better than you do.

He created each one to be exactly as they are, placing them into your care, not someone else’s. He equipped you with everything you need to raise them, and He believes you will do an excellent job. God sees every child as a major blessing, and He actually died to save them. Everything that happens to and around them is keenly important to Him.

So when you’re struggling with something, whatever it is, ask Him what you should do. He’s the Creator, and His supply of ideas never runs dry. If you ask, He’ll put one of them into your head. And because He has never failed, if you follow His instructions, that idea is bound to work.

SIDEBAR: WHEN YOU PRAY

  • God hears your prayers
  • God cares about ordinary things.
  • God sees everything at all times.
  • God usually requires you to wait for answers.
  • God does answer your prayers.

Sneak Peek #4

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Excerpt from THRIVE AND SURVIVE, ZERO TO FIVE

I (Margaret) recall a morning when our oldest three children were off at school and the younger two, Klaus and Hans, were ages two and one. After driving the carpool, I was having trouble tackling the breakfast dishes because two little boys were tugging on my legs, whining in discontent, and making me miserable. I felt like a tree they were trying to climb.

I’d done my best to distract them. “Look over there, Hans. Isn’t that your favorite truck? Rrrum-rrrum!” “Klaus, would you like an ice cube to play with? Here, have a whole bowl of them!” But nothing worked.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I decided to get down on their level to see what they were seeing. On the floor I knee-walked the length of the kitchen counter and back to the sink area, looking up. The problem was evident. My toddlers were trying to climb me simply because they couldn’t see what I was doing.

As they watched from below, they saw my arms moving and heard water flowing, but everything else was out of their line of vision. All toddlers long to participate in the activity at hand, so their low vantage point produced great frustration. Just to see if I’d been right, I put Klaus on a kitchen chair near the sink and plopped Hans atop the counter. Once they could see, the whining stopped, and both boys bubbled over with good cheer.

Of course no mommy can do this every time she does the dishes. But one way to succeed at mothering is to slow your pace to match your children’s. Maybe here and there in your busy life you can screech to an almost-halt and view life through their eyes. If you do, it’ll increase your willingness to include them in your work as it adds to your storehouse of patience.

My brief knee-walk gave me a valuable perspective on toddlerhood that I haven’t forgotten. Letting two little boys see what their mommy was doing put all three of us into the same slow moment. The boys appreciated it, and thirty years later, I’m still smiling at the memory.

SIDEBAR: A PATH TO SUCCESS

  • Partner with God.
  • Slow your pace.
  • Lower your expectations.
  • Cut unnecessary commitments.
  • Prioritize
  • Enlist help.
  • Find a mentor.
  • Enjoy your children.