For the past five weeks this pregnant mama has been battling non-stop flu with my three littles (mama and daddy, too!). I have been weary and grumpy and it's truths have been a balm to my exausted heart (when I had a moment to pick it up and read!). I'm so thankful for the words from another mom who understands what life is like, and also understands how necessary it is amidst it all to have every thought and interaction drip of God's infinite grace - both for others and for ourselves!
In this book, Gloria draws our focus away from our schedules, weariness, and constant demands to a focus of solely looking to Jesus. I need that! She writes, "When the mundane looms larger than eternal life, we forget who God is, who we are, and who our children are. We tend to forget about tomorrow and eternity when our day is filled with the tyranny of the urgent...When we have eternity in view, we respond to motherhood differently than if we lived just for the moment." Throughout the chapters she comforts us mamas with truths of our justification, In Christ. What a difference that perspective makes! When the gospel shapes our home, discouragement over our inadequacies - or the opposite, priding ourselves on the delusion of how much we are accomplishing - has no room for growth or even ground to take root, because we are driven and fed by the realization that everything we face is met through His grace, and it is always available in our time of need. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
She also reminds us afresh of God's sovereignty, even as our days are shaken and tipsy-turvy with unknowns - 2 Corinthians 9:8: "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." In every good work - this includes wiping little bodies, reading their favorite book yet again, and even disciplining when necessary (which seems is always some days!).
God's grace also rescues us from idolizing motherhood. It allows us to come weary to Him to find our daily needed rest. We need His word. I need it in these flu-filled, cuddle and whine filled days when I just want to take a Tylenol and sleep! I appreciated Gloria sharing this following quote by Jerry Bridges: "Don't believe everything you think. You cannot be trusted to tell yourself the truth. Stay in the word."
Thank you Crossway for sending this book to me. It has encouraged me from the moment I opened it straight out of the mailbox - cried for joy actually! :-) As I've been weary and clinging to God's grace it has been like a compassionate and understanding friend - loving me enough to steer my selfish thought from myself to focus squarely on Christ. I definitely will be recommending this title to others.
Two additional quotes that have stuck with me from this book are:
"Resist the urge to reduce God's Word to nice tips for nice living: give them the Gospel" - Gloria Furman
"Contentment is a sweet, inward heart-thing. It is a work of the Spirit indoors." -Jeremiah Burroughs
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