No More Anxious Mama

     This Scripture impacts my motherhood most often. It frees me from fear. It gives me confidence amidst my lack of control. It helps me sleep at night. And it is this: "...all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Ps 139:16 tells me that every single one of my days has already been written. Which means my life will not end a moment before it's meant to. And here is where it really lets me exhale: every single day of each of my kids' lives has already been written. Which means their lives will not end a moment before they are determined to. This gives me incredible relief as a Mom. 

    Moms want to do everything in their control to keep their kids safe, healthy, and thriving. It is instinctual. We want with every fiber of our being to protect our kids. It starts when they're in the womb. We read about all the ways to keep baby safest and healthiest. We take on new diets, cut out different things, exercise more. The instinct starts immediately and only intensifies after birth. Because we feel the weighty responsibility of being the sole provider and sustainer of another human being, it brings out new depths of fear we had never experienced before. Every decision feels monumental.

     Marketing strategists target these fears and many-a product sell if they can tout keeping your little human safer. Maybe you've heard of the Owlet, for example. It is a baby monitor sock your baby wears at night that tracks their oxygen level and heart rate while they sleep and alerts you if something is off. I took this directly off their website: "Parents around the world trust Owlet every night to help them keep their babies safe...Now you can feel more confidence, more freedom, and more peace of mind knowing that Owlet is here to help you keep your baby safe." While I've never owned one, I am not condemning the product itself, but I am asserting that there is a better Place to put your trust if you want "more confidence, more freedom, and more peace of mind" in keeping your baby safe. And it would do parents around the world well to trust Him. Psalm 121 tells me that God will not slumber or sleep, but will constantly watch over His children. 

    Let me encourage you, Mama, that you are not the sole provider and sustainer of your child's life. That should bring great relief because at the end of the day, we are limited. We need sleep. We can not and do not have full control. While God is absolutely employing you to do the best you can to wisely steward and care for the child He has given you, it is ultimately Him who has all power and might and control. In Acts 17 it says, "He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else...and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands...For in him, we move and live and have our being." Job 12:10 says, "In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." In His hand. He holds our baby's every breath. The whole book of Job, especially chapters 38-41 gives a sobering reminder of how big and mighty God is and how small and weak we are. It is best that our babes are in His hands because He is the true Provider and Sustainer. And also, He is good and loves our sweet dumplins more than we ever could. 

    Sometimes I'm tempted to think I can do a better job than God because I see things happen all around that are not good. We don't understand why He would allow some babies to die before ever taking their first breath. Can we really trust that God? I started asking this question at 11 years old after experiencing a heartbreaking loss of two babies in my family. In another post, I will share more of their story and how their lives and deaths have impacted my trust in God forever, especially since becoming a Mom. If anxiety is robbing you of the joy in Motherhood, I encourage you to cling to these truths:

    1. God has full control and we do not.     
    2. God is good and worthy of our trust.

Will you place your trust in Him today?

Making it matter,

Laura