Recently I got to go to a worship night for JUST mama's at a church where our MOPS group meets. We got to sit and soak in the presence of God while listening to my sweet friend's brother play his guitar and sing (with a gorgeous voice) some wonderful worship songs.
I heard many moms say "I have heard those songs before...but tonight I really heard the lyrics".
They were so right! One specific thing that stuck out to me in a song that I just can't shake is...
THE SIMPLE GOSPEL.
I was toiling over those words, especially when it came to being Good Friday, and of course Easter Sunday. We watched some shows, read lots of scripture, and like most Christians, we revisited all that Christ did for us that weekend.
And it seemed like everyone around me was too. Shows on tv, blog posts I follow, and even Facebook and Pinterest were blowing up all about Jesus.
In the midst of all of that....there was something special about gathering with some of our MOPS mommies and sitting and worshiping that made me relate Easter weekend....
To motherhood,
there are times of beauty when we are playing outside with our kid and the weather is perfect. There are times when everyone is laughing over homemade chocolate chip cookies and we get a small taste of the kingdom of heaven here on earth.
But what about all the moments in between the kingdom pockets?
The sacrifice, the sweat, the tears, the exhaustion –that is where we see messages of the cross pouring into the hearts of future generations.
Do you remember what Jesus did in the hours leading up to his death? He washed the disciple’s feet. He served them a meal. He prayed for them. He endured tremendous amounts of resistance from the people He came to rescue. He suffered physically. He brought life.
Can you relate?
To the mama who rises through the night to comfort the colicky baby,
To the mama who daily bends low to tie a shoe or wipe a spill or pick up the toys,
To the mama whose pants don't quite fit the way they did before, because of housing a little person for 9 months,
To the mama who's been up all night with a feverish(or teething) child,
To the mama enduring chronic pain or sickness and still carrying on,
To the mama walking the road of a miscarriage or infertility,
To the mama working a full-time job helping support her family,
To the mama who forgives instead of holds a grudge,
To the mama who has chosen to foster or adopt,
To the mama who faithfully meal preps,
To the mama whose hands are working an endless line of laundry,
To the mama who is a constant referee,
To the mama who's birth plan didn't go quite as expected,
To the mama standing by a child struggling with delays,
To the mama choosing to be faithful and stand by her husband,
To the mama patiently ministering to the strong-willed toddler,
To the mama who lovingly corrects, encourages her child’s hearts to know Jesus – day in and day out…
These are not easy circumstances.
The stuff of motherhood is hard work.
THE JOURNEY TO THE CROSS WAS THE HARDEST WORK EVER DONE.
I am NOT making light of that...
But just as Jesus’ humble submission testified to the world of God’s great name (Philippians 2:6-11), our obedience as mamas to do the hard and good work of raising children DOES bring glory to the Lord
And that is where He rescued my heart last weekend,
And it’s in the daily dying to myself that I find the greatest joy because I know He is making me more like Him.
That is what I saw when my sweet friend, who so faithfully perseveres "to do" for us MOPS mommies, made a night of worship available for us mamas to come too!
THAT brought a new view into my Easter.
May that be the vision of our hearts as we do the hard work of motherhood.
Let us all be mamas who open up our hands – spreading them as wide as the cross, giving our lives, our kids, our husbands, our comforts, our expectations( Lord, help me), our disappointments, our hopes, and our dreams to Him,
Again....and again...and again!
The Gospel....The SIMPLE Gospel....
The good news.....
He loves me
He loves me anyways
He loves me even when
He loves me even though
He loves me unconditionally
He loves me immeasurably
He loves me
The. End.
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