Godly 'Mothering'

Last week sometime, I stumbled across a InTouch.org article about mothers. It caught my eyes for obvious reasons but also because I was looking for something that could relate to me and my life. Well I started reading some of it and unfortunately I just left it and starting doing something else. I felt God calling me tonight to just set aside time for Him. I fought Him for a little but I decided to listen. 

What I liked most about this article is that it focused on mother.. not parents, but mothers. It's some times hard for me to relate to text that have to do with parents. So when I come across things like this that focus on just the mother, it catches my eye, and helps me focus more. 

The title of this was A Mother's Greatest Gift. Which is of course, sharing Christ with her children. My son has always been in church, bible study and around Godly people; and he is only 2. I love that I am able to raise him in such a healthy and encouraging environment. I didn't grow up from birth in a Christian household and I want to make sure that I can provide that for my son. I am so incredibly blessed that I have control over that. 

However, keeping him in church and bible studies is all good and well but who he is going to look at most is the one raising him... me! Am I doing all the Christian things I should, I try my best to. Am I living a Christian life, yes I am. Am I showing my son all of these things... not so much. Lately I have been reading my son the bible plan that I just started and although he doesn't seem that interested in it just yet, I know he is listening. I downloaded the Kid's Bible app on the iPad, and that he is most plugged into. It plays nice music, is narrated and also has things you can press that will move and make noises. It tells the stories of the bible in child mode! Of course, he is still young and might not just yet understand the full story but he is paying attention. I've been trying to focus more on praying before meals with him. He covers his eyes with his little hands and I say a prayer (a really quick one) and at the end he says 'men!' (amen) 

I have read some where about a mother saying, start pulling out the ACTUAL bible and reading it in front of your kids. What does a kid see when you are on you iPad or iPhone reading the bible? They see you on an electronic, maybe playing a game or on some social media network. That has no meaning to them. But having the physical bible on the table or in your lap, your child will understand more. They will get that this book is really important to you because you are always reading it and it's always around. Let's step back from the technological and just refer back to the paper copies. 

Create a pattern for you child. Get them into the groove of taking a bath, brushing their teeth before bed, hopping in bed, reading the bible, say a prayer and going to sleep. It amazed me a couple months ago when my son and I walked downstairs to go to bed he said 'teeth' so we brushed out teeth, then he said 'bed' so we got in bed, then 'book' and after 'light'. He understands the routine. It didn't take him that long to understand the 123's of bedtime. Tonight was different though, it was a tough night, so we got right in bed. I read him the bible and we went on the Kid's Bible app, then we brushed out teeth. After we brushed our teeth and started walking back to the room, he surprisingly said 'bible'. I'm creating a new and better routine. Now I need to start focusing on praying with him. I pray over him every night, but that is of course in my prayers. Why not pray with him before he falls asleep. I believe he is old enough, he prays with me every other time we pray. Although that might sound like its so repetitive and it'll get boring, our children will grow up to understand what is the Godly way of doing things. Always keep God in mind, He is what is most important in our life. 

I love how all of this ties together. It all started with My Daily Bread being based on Deuteronomy 6, which talks about raising our children in Christ. Since I read that it seems like everything I come in contact with, that is of God, focuses on that. God works in sneaky but good ways. 

With that, isn't it just the most wonderful feeling when you truly start to realize how God is working in your life. I rebuke the Devil and ask God to help me focus more on Him because I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I see God starting to work on something new. I see it in the distant and I just ask God to keep me focus on Him, not the situation that might be ahead of me. My relationship with God is the biggest accomplishment I want to have. That will be my proudest accomplishment in this life. 

But seeing God work in my life is amazing. I've seen it for years, but this is something I have been praying for for a long time and I noticed I needed to stop giving that want so much of my time; rather give it over completely to God. Which I have. I stopped focusing on it and I even stopped giving it so much room in my prayers at night. I kept praying that same prayer over and over and it was losing it's meaning. Now every night it's like I'm praying differently. That's a routine I didn't want to keep. I didn't want to keep the routine of praying for A, B and C, in that same order every night. Then that just turns into a bad habit and meaningless prayer. 

God becomes more and more real to me every day and it's so wonderful to jot down and share sometimes. What is God doing in your life that is really catching your attention?