Drinking From Daddy’s Cup (Hope for the Mom Who Feels Empty and Drained)
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here.
Whether you’re an old friend or a new one, I pray that you’ll be blessed as you linger in this place “where faith is spilled and souls are filled.”
If you like what you find, I hope you’ll sign up on the sidebar to receive my blog in your inbox now and then. Or find me on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll keep chasing Jesus together day by day.
Better yet, I’d love to connect with you in person. I’m scheduling speaking commitments for the remainder of 2016 and the beginning of 2017. I’d be delighted to join you at a special ministry event this year.
Over at Encouragement for Today, I’m penning hope for any mom who’s ever felt like she’s losing herself in a myriad of mommy demands.
I hope you’ll hop over to P31’s website and be encouraged.
But before you go, keep reading to learn how one little boy taught me the secret for combatting the exhausting drain of motherhood. (Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for today’s give-away at the end of this post!)
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Years ago, when my husband worked late, our four-year-old son, Joshua, took it upon himself to make sure his daddy didn’t eat dinner alone.
At the sound of the garage door’s squeak, our littlest boy would come running to the kitchen where he knew he’d find his daddy sitting at the table with a plateful of left-overs and a weary smile. Though Joshua had eaten his own dinner long before the sun had set, he’d often ask me for a few crackers and a drink in his red plastic cup so he could dine with his daddy.
One night as I stood at the kitchen sink and scrubbed the last of the day’s dishes, I listened to Joshua fill the room with happy prattle.
With green eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief, our boy told of the treasures he’d found while digging in the backyard that day.
My husband’s laugher mingled with tall tales as our four-year-old described the rusty nail that must be a hundred years old and the shiny stones that might actually be magic.
At one point, my man looked over his shoulder to wink at me. And while his daddy’s head was turned, Joshua reached for the tall glass of water that sat beside my husband’s plate and our storyteller took a long silent swig.
Joshua wiggled closer to his daddy with each story told. And I watched with growing amusement as our littlest boy continued to sneak surreptitious sips of his daddy’s drink throughout the rest of their mealtime banter.
Finally, I interrupted the storytelling and called out our son’s sneaky supping. “Why don’t you drink from your own cup?” I asked.
Joshua smirked and lifted his tumbler to reveal a pint-sized puddle on the kitchen table just beneath his little red cup.
“My cup is empty,” Joshua replied with an unconcerned shrug.
“But I just filled your cup when Daddy came home,” I reminded our preschooler, my voice tinged with disbelief.
Joshua shrugged his shoulders once more, and I grabbed a dishtowel and abandoned my post at the sink for a closer look. Sure enough, when I inspected my son’s cup, it was nearly drained, thanks to a hairline crack running along the plastic bottom.
“Joshua,” I said as I mopped up the puddle on the table. “Would you like me to get you a new cup?”
“No,” our littlest boy declared as he inched closer to his daddy. “I’m just drinking from Daddy’s cup. He’s got enough for both of us.”
My husband nodded in agreement and tipped his glass toward our son as if he were toasting a brilliant idea.
I raised an invisible glass toward my boys; then grabbed the broken cup and carried it across the room to the garbage can.
But when I dropped that tiny tumbler in the trash, I was surprised by the uninvited lump of tears that swelled in my throat.
I couldn’t describe my swirling emotions with eloquent words, but I knew that at the end of another long day of wiping faces and bottoms, fingers and floors, I felt like that little red cup–
Poured out and punctured.
Motherhood may fill our arms but it can sap our soul.
It may enlarge our love but it can drain our vigor.
Until I had children, I didn’t realize that being a mom would plunge me into living the ultimate paradox—
Motherhood is both exhilarating and exhausting, amazing and agonizing, delightful and discouraging. It is a call to bend low and stand tall, to hold tight and let go, to relish and to release, to train and to trust.
But most of all, motherhood is a call to pour out our lives for the sake of another. To give more than we have and then give and give some more.
Maybe that’s why I stood over the garbage can and swallowed silent tears as the moonlight streamed through the kitchen window those many years ago—
Because sometimes I feel like I have nothing left to give, like there’s not a single part of me left to share.
The mealtime chatter began to wane and my husband’s dinner date grew quiet.
Then as my son’s eyes began to droop, I lifted my gaze to Heaven and exhaled a weary plea for help.
“I’m tired of being empty, Lord…”
My husband cleared his dishes and scooped our littlest boy in his arms and carried him down the hall to bed.
And somewhere deep in my spirit, I sensed my Father echoing the sentiments of that little boy who holds my heart.
“Just drink from my cup, Daughter. I’ve got enough for both of us….” (John 4:10)
Has motherhood left you empty?
Do you feel poured out and prayed out; worn out and wept out?
Lean in close and listen, dear friend.
We may be broken, but we need not be barren.
May I share what I’ve been learning since that night when I cried over a little leaking cup?
God understands both the blessing and the burden of motherhood.
God knows the wisdom it takes to discipline an insolent child; the patience required to calm a fussy baby. He sympathizes with the press of potty training and the drain of homework helping, the exhaustion of training toddlers and the exasperation of tending teens. And He understands the demands of managing schedules, running carpools and still trying to fan the flame of intimacy in our marriages.
God knows what leaves “cracks in our cups.”
He realizes what causes our joy to leak and our peace to seep. And He longs to replenish our thirsty souls.
Because we’ve been fashioned to be filled by Him (John 10:10)
When we’re empty, He overflows.
When we’re barren, He brims life.
We may not be able to ditch the dishes and diapers and daily demands, but we can sidle up beside our Father at the table of grace anytime we want. We can open His Word and drink deep of His promises; linger in prayer and soak long in His strength. We can sip His wisdom, savor His joy, and splash in His presence.
We can respond to His invitation in Isaiah 55:2 & 3 with a humble YES–
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—
Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.”
And when we are stumbling empty through our days, we can pause and remember the sage words once spoken by a four-year-old boy I know–
“I’m just drinking from Daddy’s cup. He’s got enough for both of us.”
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Today I’m giving away a beautiful Dayspring mug as a tangible reminder that your Daddy wants to fill your cup.
This mug will remind you that “When we are filled with Jesus, our lives are filled with joy!”
To enter to win, just tell leave me a comment and let me know one of two things—
1. What you love most right now about your (Heavenly) Daddy
2. How I can pray for you.
I love how God has promised to fill me with peace and joy, in spite of my circumstances and He always keeps His promises. My kids are grown but the concerns and demands continue to fill my days and drain my spirit unless I lean on Jesus. Please pray for my daughters’ health . .. breast cancer and serious gastrointestinal problems … and my wonderful grandchildren all struggling in different ways. They keep me on my knees . Thank you for this beautiful picture of our Father.
So glad I took time to read this today. It is truly touching my heart. My favorite thing about my heavenly Daddy is that He is ALWAYS there for me! And please get your greatest prayer warriors together and pray for my healing. I am undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for radiation damage and i believe God is gonna use this to heal me even more than the doctors expect. I am 6 years cancer-free!!! Also, I need prayer for a place for me to live and a car! God has work for me to do….people’s lives to touch! I can hardly wait to see how He answers these prayers….where He will lead me! Thank you for your prayers! And thank You Lord Jesus for loving me.
Geralyn, I am praying.. and I will invite my dearest prayer warriors to join me. I am thanking God in advance with you for the mighty ways He is going to intervene and lead and provide for you. Thanks for sharing a piece of your journey here with us!
Please pray for me. Your words are very encouraging. It is a daily battle dealing with an incurable disease that leaves you bedridden at 42 with four children. It is hard to find doctors who know how to treat you or the other proper treatments.
Halona, I am SO SORRY for your difficult battle. I am praying for you right now..asking our faithful Father to give you hope, help, and healing.
I love that our God is bigger than all our troubles. He is with us every second of the day,even if He is the foot prints in the sand.He is love,laughter,peace,and our comforter. He covers us with love, blessings, and joy like our comforter on our bed covers us – He is that close to us.
I love how he’s saved me in the midst of my postpartum depression. He’s heard my plea and came to my rescue. Also how he continues to remind me that I am not alone. And I’m thankful for his encouragement in his word. Please pray for my continued recovery.
Oh, Janice, I KNOW that difficult journey. I’m praying of you right now— asking Jesus to make His presence known in sweet and tangible ways as He walks with you and I’m asking boldly for your complete recovery–restoration of joy and total healing for your mind and body and spirit.
What I love most about my Heavenly Father… is that He never gives up on me. Even at my most selfish and most broken, He reaches down and takes my hand, leading me right back to Him. Right where I belong. 🙂
I love how so many little things show Jesus’ love for me. A green light when I’m in a hurry, a close parking spot, that funny green bird I see from the kitchen. He loves me.
I love that my Heavenly Father continues to guide me and love me in my low points, points where I just feel to empty and tired to try to persue him sadly. He provides just what I need to help me back on track because goodness knows I can’t do it for myself it seems!
I’m a first time, stay at home mom to a little four month old girl who we’ve been blessed with after years old infertility and treatments. But I’m struggling with the new life transition and feel like I’m not doing my best as a wife and mommy. Please pray for me to understand,trust, and believe that my main identify and worth isn’t something that I have to work for and earn, but that it is special and freely given just by being a daughter of our Heavenly Father
Ashley, I remember that struggle myself as I tried to embrace the gift of staying home with my little ones.It’s exhausting and monotonous and maddening on some days. A wise mentor once told me that motherhood is an invitation to “daily death”— death to self, to all of our ideas of what makes us “valuable.” No wonder it “hurts” as we let God grow us into the moms He wants us to be. You’re doing a HUGE job as you care for that little girl, but no doubt, it feels small on most days. I’m praying for you.
I love most that He is faithful.
I need prayer with the decision to continue homeschooling my children. It has always been a struggle to surrender to what I felt was a call from the Lord and now I just don’t know if it’s something that I should continue. I’m praying for an answer please be in agreement with me.
Jesus, please give Savannah a clear word of guidance and seal your answer with peace in her spirit.
I love how God never lets me get completely empty, there’s always a tiny bit more oil in my lamp. I love that he always brings me what I need when I need it most…like this article.
You can pray for me to come to the Father to be filled, to stop trying to do it all on my own and to stop “work” and give my kids what they actually need, me!
Ange
So much wisdom in this prayer request, Ange. I’m praying that with you and for myself, too. Jesus, may we be present with our children and give them the gift of ourselves so that through us that might see you, too:)
His abundant mercy and grace.
Please pray for patience for me with my little one.
Thank you!
Echoing your prayer!
Jesus, fill Elisabeth with YOUR patience today as she cares for her little one. Amen
I love the “God’s got this”!
I pray that my children & grandchildren understand that!
(I am gonna have heart surgery on May 18, and it is scary procedures with long recovery time. ) praying that I may bring Gid all honor & glory throughout the season. Asking this request in Jesus’ name, amen
Heavenly Father, please be near to Jeanette as she undergoes surgery. Guide the doctor’s hands, wrap her in peace and bring complete recovery. In Jesus’ name.
I love my Abba Father who has been so faithful in giving me His life and light through the living Word. As I abide in Him and allow Him to work within my heart and soul, I find peace and joy. Nothing is more satisfying than to rest in Him and enjoy His presence. My prayer continues to be for the salvation of my dear husband. He has some health issues and I know his fear and worry can be replaced by peace and hope as he trusts in the Lord Jesus.
Jesus, woo Kathy’s husband to your heart. May your love be irresistible to him. Buoy Kathy with your presence and your peace as she continues to love her husband with your love. Amen
I love how my Daddy hears my prayers and answers them, and that He is so gracious, kind and long-suffering with me as I grow! My prayer request is that I would be filling myself from my Daddy’s cup so that I can reflect that same gracious, kind and patient character to my precious children. I often feel like a “mama monster” because I am so tired and overwhelmed I am none of those things. I end up apologizing to my kids for not accurately reflecting their Heavenly Daddy’s character to them. I want to do better, by His strength and power working in and through me.
Oh, Hannah, I know that “mama monster” routine all too well. There is power in your willingness to apologize- you are teaching your children about humility and forgiveness. Jesus is in you and He is shining through you. Your kids don’t need a perfect mom, just a mom who points them to their Perfect Savior.
I adore that my Abba Father is so faithful. He is always beside me. Right now my husband is job searching & we have relocated to help with the job search. So we need prayer for a job to open so we can continue on the journey God has been leading our hearts toward. Prayers for my kids & the adjustments we are making in the meantime.
We just took a leap of relocation a few years ago. Transition is exciting and exhausting all at once, especially when kids are involved. I’m praying with you, Danielle!
Thank you for your timely post which provided me with comfort and hope. I thank God for His faithfulness, He also comes through, He answers prayer and He knows what’s best. Please pray for me to have continued strength, peace and wisdom in juggling the demands of work and caring for young children.
Jesus, energize JT. Give her the peace and strength and wisdom she needs to do what you’ve called her to do. May the joy of the Lord be her strength. Amen
I love how God is so REAL in my life! His hints he leaves throughout my day as I search for more of him. falling in love each and every day! I could use prayer in letting Go of my past completely never finding myself in want of what use to be and to keep pressing forward in my journey with Jesus.
Praying this with you, Renee!
I love Jesus so much because He always gives us what we need and He let me know that He loves me just at the right time. My marriage really needs prayer right now. I would like specific prayer that I would be able to let go and let God, that I would be able to trust in him and put everything in his hands.
I am echoing your prayer!
God’s timing is perfect. The oldest of my 4 precious daughters started an intensive program for an eating disorder today. Weary
Worn. Punctured. Yes. But your words reminded me He always is enough and has enough to care for us. Thank you, Alicia.
Sweet sister, I am praying for you, for your daughter, for your family. Jesus, we beg for complete healing, for total victory over this eating disorder, for a story for YOUR GLORY to come from this wearisome journey. Breathe fresh life and hope into this precious mama and her girls. AMEN
What a wonderful post! I often feel empty & drained & then feel awful for how i feel. Its a vicious cycle!! Motherhood is the most demanding “job” i’ve ever had. Right now i am a single mom to 3 kids (13, 11 & 10) b/c my husband decided he was done trying & needed to be away from me. Please stand in agreement that God will change his “stony heart” & replace it with love, forgiveness & God will/desires. I am praying & believing for complete restoration & healing for my family. I also need Gods peace & strength as i walk through the darkest time of my life. Thanks.
CJ, I have been praying for you ever since we connected here earlier this year. And I will continue to pray for God to restore your family. And, sister, I am asking for our strong and mighty Savior to carry you through every step of this dark valley. May He show Himself faithful to you and your children.
i love it that the LORD knows what i need even when i don’t know and is taking care of all of us!
Hi Alicia,
First, thank you for these words! They touched the depths of this mother’s worn out, often wandering soul and spoke hope and life! Thank You!
Second, the thing I love most about my Abba is rooted in the love and acceptance I never received from an earthly father. Abba is the only daddy I’ve ever known and despite all my insecurities – He loves me well! He loves me fully! He loves me unconditionally! And, He never, ever runs from me!
Third, I would be so grateful if you would pray for me as I venture into the blogging world. I’m new to blogging, but I want to follow God’s will more than anything. At times, the details feel overwhelming. Please pray that I will have discernment, wisdom and most of all – words that point others to Jesus. Thank You!
Leigh, I love meeting fellow bloggers here! Yes, I’m praying— asking Jesus to use your words to bring His light and life to many and to give you wisdom as you follow in faith and say YES to His dreams for your life!
I love the most right now that our Heavenly Father is in control and has everything planned for our good! When days get tough I remind myself of this truth! Thank you for your encouraging words for mothers! So true and yet you described it in such an inspiring way that gives hope and new meaning to our role as mothers.
Thankyou for your honest post – and your reminder that even though it may not look like what we’d choose or even what we planned, we can do all things through Christ because His cup is overflowing! Your story is such a good analogy! I love that God knows even when I don’t and that He is in control and never changes, even though life does all the time. Just like Lauren Daigle’s song reminds me “…when You don’t give the answers as I cry out to you, I will trust in you…” Was so hoping God would cure me from chronic health issues but instead, they’re getting worse so am trying to stay focused on who my Hope is and count my blessings! (Speaking of, love the song “Blessings” too! 🙂 I am so grateful to be a Mom even though life is exhausting! But I need to keep drinking from His river of life!
I am thankful that God forgives me and welcomes me back with open arms when I mess up. You could pray that I am able to use my mouth and the words that flow from it to glorify God and shine His light instead of hurt others and not give God the glory He so much deserves.
I am loving God’s wisdom…we sold our house with nowhere to go…moved into a pretty rough rental in order to wait for God’s direction. We walked through building a house (with my husband as the builder), which is something I thought we would never do. All of this through homeschooling 3 kids and having a newborn, Mercy…it’s exhausting even typing all of this. Thankful for God’s wisdom because this is not the plan my husband and I would have ever set out on our own…it’s much to big of a dream that we never would have attempted under our own strength. Prayer request is for peace, as I struggle with anxiety.
Jesus, wrap April in a cloak of your peace and let her be anxious for nothing as she trusts in you. Amen
What I love most about our Heavenly Father is that He is faithful. He can be counted on to make my walk with Him perfect. Even when I get a “no” response from Him, He shows how His way and His plan is better. When there are struggles He is walking next to me and when there are blessing He is along side me rejoicing.
Thank you for your blog and the P31 today, it hit the spot. Please pray that God show me exactly where to use the gifts He has given me. I don’t want to continue being “Martha”, I want to be “Mary”.
Praying with you, TJ, a “Mary in the make”:)
God is my rock. Having recently gone through some of those mom-draining moments while balancing a workplace dealing with cutbacks I find my strength and refreshment through God, who fills me with living water, who quenches my thirst and quiets my unrest and allows for moments of peace. Pray for me to continue to be the Mom my kids, ages 2, 12, and 20 need! Blessings.
You are parenting many needs in that stretch of ages and stages, aren’t you, Mary? I’m praying that you will find everything you need at the Throne of Grace.
I love how God always knows exactly what I need to hear or read for encouragement. This devo today (coming from the one at Proverbs31) reverberates with where I am right now. With a 4 year old and a 13 month old, I feel guilty sometimes that I lose my patience and am not as long-suffering as I need to be. I work full time from home while keeping them and I feel so stretched sometimes…and alone, like no one else really understands how hard it is. I am really working on getting closer to Jesus – pray for me to grow in Him. I’d like to win the cup to pass on to another young mother at church who really needs encouragement.
Dana, may Jesus draw you close with His irresistible love and may you delight in being HIS today.
I love that God is constantly speaking and making himself known in a difficult season. Please pray I will continue finding joy, maintaining a thankful heart, and allow God to fight my battle.
Praying
I love that at any moment I can come as I am and He loves me for me. Forgives me, everytime. Embraces my imperfections, everytime. His love is the realist love I’ve ever known, and that in itself is the most comforting feeling in the world. My prayer is that I can remind myself of this love daily by staying in His word and not to worry or fret about my daily demands of single motherhood because God’s got this.
Thank you for the encouragement as I am in the stage of mothering adult children. I need to remember to drink from my Daddys cup more often.
I love that he understands our human struggles & desires to be with us.
My prayer is that I won’t put him in a box but will remember he is king of the world.
Ahh, yes! Jesus, blow right out of that box we put you in and leave us awestruck by your might and mercy.
No matter how long it’s been that I’ve tried to survive on my own strength, God waits and is there to fill me when I finally remember that it’s through Him that I am filled and can continue to give. Pray that God will give me strength to parent through this next season of life…continuing to be a mom to three daughters at home while sending the oldest off to college. Gulp.
Gulp. I’m right there with you, Julie. Praying for you as seasons change.
I love how he loves me and is always there for me to pour out my heart and rest in him. Your devotional this morning was so uplifting and helpful. I lead a young Mom’s Bible study and I want to send this to all of them. They need this word of encouragement!
I love how my Heavenly Father is always present with me, how He is patient with me, allowing me to grow one faith-building moment by one faith-building moment. I love how He comforts me then guides me into a deeper understanding of who He is and who He has called me to be, in Him.
I love when He reveals the “why” of circumstances that arise and how He works those things together. Life is sometimes tough but with God by my side constantly reminding me of His presence, and showing me His purpose, even when running on empty, I experience His grace, His love. I just love that about Him! He’s teaching me to continue drawing near and to be patient, to “Be still and know that I am God…” kind of stuff.
Please pray that as He unfolds His divine purpose through the vast changes He’s brought my way that I will do just that, “be still” (patient to watch and grow one faith-building moment by one faith-building moment) and to “know” (trust Him knowing that in hindsight I will joyfully see His foresight), for He is my Holy God, my good and gracious Father.
Jesus, still Lora’s heart and give her faith to wait on you.
Please pray as my heart transitions and grows for my high school and college graduates and the changes coming with a new marriage for me on the horizon. I’m overflowing with love and overwhelmed with change. Thank you for the timely reminder of God’s constant refilling.
Oh, Mona, so much to celebrate! Praying you will cling to Jesus through every inch of the changes to come. And may you continue to overflow with HIS love!
You can pray for me (and my family) as our much loved mom, grandma and wife went to be with Jesus. She wasn’t “just” a grandma,to me, she was,friend and most importantly true prayer warrior. She lived a life that glorified her Savior and I miss her a lot. God allowed me the privilege of being with my mom, aunt and uncle (grandma’s children) and some of my siblings when my Grandma drew her last breath on earth. We,literally, sang hymns until she passed-singing her to heaven as my mom put it. I know she was ready to go home, but oh she will be missed until we meet again. My grandpa is 92 and is hurting -70 years of marriage would have been celebrated this fall. So thanks for letting me share this and thank you for your prayers for others and your devotions-I resonate with the things you write. May God be with you throughout this day.
I am so sorry for your loss. praying for you, dear sister, and for your family and grandpa as you mourn the death of your beloved grandma. Death is SO hard even when we know Heaven is so close. May the God of all comfort carry you through.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that my Father is constantly giving me wisdom and encouragement just when I need it. Just last night, I was sitting on my kitchen counter as my husband prepared our dinner plates… I had tears running down my cheeks and felt exhausted, overwhelmed and illequipped to be a mom, wife, friend, professional, homemaker, etc. Today, I open my email to the P31 Encouragement for today and this post and was blown away. So thankful for a God who hears our cries and comes to us! I could continue to use pray in motherhood and wearing the many hats from day to day. Thank you for your posts!
What I love most about God right now is that when He is in the midst of our chaos and always has resources to fill me with when I am low. Patience out? Ask for some of His. Tired and fatigued? Ask God for some of His energy. Out of ideas? Ask God for His input. I love that He has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can always be in tune with Him and have that direct line of contact when we so very much need it as moms.
If you can pray that we can make it through this very busy season of life as my husband works through his MBA at an accelerated pace, that would be wonderful. We seem – somehow – to be getting stronger as a family unit through this process, and I can only think it’s because of God’s grace that we are.
Praying and praising with you!
Thank you for your beautiful words this morning. I desperately needed to see this and be reminded that I can’t do this crazy beautiful thing called motherhood alone. I must turn to Jesus each day and lean on Him.
I love that my Heavenly Daddy loves me unconditionally. Even when I feel lost and far from Him, He uses other people to draw me closer to Him. He’s not giving up on me having a beautiful and fulfilling relationship with Him. Please pray that your words resign with me daily. I can’t do life alone, and I must learn to rely on Him and drink from His cup daily.
Echoing your prayer, Marie.
The days of having young children around as come to an end. I am now “mothering” adult children. A whole different ballgame! I need my Heavenly Father to fill me up with his hope and encouragement for these new challenges. Being a mother never ends.
So true, Judy! May your cup overflow.
Right now, my favorite thing about my Heavenly Daddy is the way He loves us. I feel like every day I’m learning more and more of how He loves us, and I can honestly say I love the way He loves us personally. The way He knows every intricate detail of our lives and wants to be involved in it all. The way He gives us strength when we have none, and pushes us to show us just how strong He is for us, how strong we are in Him. I just had my first baby three weeks ago, and I prayed and prayed for a quick and easy labor. What I received was the exact opposite, long and complicated and messy and unbearable. But because of all of that, it made me call on His name, call on His strength. It made me realize who He is and how strong He is for us.
You can pray for me as I start this journey of motherhood. These past few weeks I have felt exactly like this and like the devotional you wrote today for proverbs 31… Empty and worn out. I had no idea why I was feeling that way. But now I know two things.. 1. I need to drink from my daddy’s cup more and more. And 2. I need to allow God to use this journey to pull out my impurities.
Julie, may you drink deeply from your Daddy’s cup!
What I love most about my Heavenly Daddy right now is that He always knows what I need before I even know it myself! He is right now calling me out upon the waters, past borders, making me faith stronger as we wait upon Him. Please pray for us as we start therapy again for our son with sensory processing disorder, this Mama is tired, and I’ve cried so many tears in the last few weeks as I’ve tried to parent my kids, but especially our son. I know our Father has a plan for him, and He is enough when we are not, I know He will fill in the gaps when I fail. Thank you for your words of encouragement this morning!! So thankful our God knows just what we need to hear and encourage us! Have a blessed day!
Jesus, breathe fresh life and strength and hope into your daughter Jenny. Give her what she needs to parent her precious son. Give her a glimpse of your beautiful plan and show yourself faithful and mighty in her family’s life.
Thank you for the encouragement this morning. Motherhood certainly can feel like the ultimate paradox of emotions. I am so grateful that Jesus offers his wisdom for those who ask (James 1:5) and promises to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). My favorite verse is Romans 8:15, which reminds me that I can call out to my Father. My prayer is that all women will know and accept this promise of adoption.
God works in mysterious ways. He is at work in our lives even in our darkest hours. He wants us to turn to him about any aspect of our life. God loves us and takes care of us.
Thank you for your posts today. They touched this mama’s heart in a big way. As a mom with two under two and one being a week old I have felt as if I have been lost in the diaper changes and the routines and wondering where I am all the while not realizing how much God is using these things to create in me the woman and mother that he needs me to be. I love my wonderful Heavenly Father for caring enough to stretch me and grow me into the person he needs me to be even while I don’t realize it is happening. He takes us through struggles to make us his vessel and I wouldn’t trust anyone else along the way. I thank you for and covet any prayers for peace, grace, wisdom and patience along this journey. Many blessings to you!
I know God’s growing you, Blythe, as you surrender to Him in this stretching season! May you delight in His presence as He meets you moment by moment.
I love that my Heavenly Father is always available to me, especially when I need hope. I enjoyed your writing so much this morning! God bless you:)
Thank you, Martha.
We are in a season of struggle and HUGE growth, which can be painful 😉
I am so thankful that my Daddy loves me unconditionally, and that His love isn’t harmful in any way. I grew up in a home filled with abuse, in a social group filled with abuse. I knew that motherhood would be a struggle for me, but I tried so hard to control all of the parameters. My early father could not show me what a healthy parent’s love looks like, but my heavenly father does. Every day, I have these bright little moments where I learn to surrender just a little more, empty myself a little more, let my love look a little more like His.
Please pray for me that God would just continue to pour out His blessings that are already beyond measure, and that my autoimmune symptoms would be minimal so that I have the physical strength to be the mother that He calls me to be.
Thank you, dear one, for allowing God to use you as His hands and feet. May your endeavors be blessed with much fruit!
Debbie, I am inspired by your words and I want my love to look a little more like my Savior’s each day, too. May God continue to pour out His favor upon you, may He bring health and healing to your body and may He give you HIS strength to be the mom He’s dreamed you to be.
I love God’s timing. He knew today’s P31 devotion, and your blog post, were exactly what this tired momma needed to get her smile, not to mention her perspective, back. Thanks, Alicia, for being the messenger!
Thank you for this beautiful devotion on motherhood! It was all truth and comfort to me. What I love most about my daddy is that he’s always there and never grows weary of me crying out for help. His love is always overflowing when I need it!!
This devotion resonated to me today. My daughter is a single mom with a special needs child who struggles. I need to remind her to drink from His cup!
I’m praying for your precious daughter, Donna. And for you as you overflow into her life.
His grace and mercy never cease to amaze and humble me. Your post today has been a gentle reminder that I will forever be a better “me” when I leave my heart open for God to do His work. I appreciate yours words of encouragement and for sharing such a personal experience.
I love that He is my Maker and I love knowing that while He was creating all of the beauty that I am surrounded with each day, He thought of me! That just gets me excited! I know that He is still working on me too. My prayer each day is to be in His will and to get closer to Him in our relationship. I also want to share Him with others & be of help where needed! Thank you for your devotion.
I love the way God always gives me “every day” joy and strength. My husband asks me why I am always cheerful in the morning. I tell him unless you find your inner joy with the Lord you can never be truly happy. Thank you Alicia for your writing today!!! I always enjoy reading what you have to say. I hope you have a blessed day!
Love your thoughts on joy, Judy! May Jesus’ joy in you continue to draw many to Him.
Time for a refill Lord! Thank You Father God for Your Spirit’s comfort….guidance & love….filling me so that Your Love overflows and spills out on those around me. Thank You Jesus!!!
Thank you for your encouragement. I hold the burden of being away from my six year old son & husband all week while at work & then see them each weekend for a fast two days. Our situation with finances & health benefits has it this way temporarily for 8 months now but the Lord has given me the strength to maintain this sometime painful road of not seeing my son. It’s amazing how we are tested with giving up what matter the most the most us in order to find a deeper relationship with HIM. May the Lord continue to strip away the layers of myself to be more like HIM.
AMEN, Michela!
Thank you so much for this encouragement today, it spoke right to my heart and how I feel as a mama lately. I’m so in love with how our Father uses all people and all things to reach deep into our hearts and bring us back to him over and over again. Please pray that I can turn to the Lord over and over again when the days drag long and difficult.
Yes! Praying that for you (and me),Jen!
I love that he is always there, always listening, always answering in his way. Thank you for this wonderful post, it is comforting to know that I am not alone.
Thank you for this post and the one today on P31 I found myself very surprised by the demands of motherhood 13 years ago and I had many years of struggle to accept God’s ways. I love about God that He never left me, that He always heard the cries of my heart. Today I’m rejoicing that He is willing to use me even though there is still trash in the sandbox crater of my soul. Please pray for me as we go through the process of adopting a child. I never thought I could willingly enter the demands of motherhood again, but God is leading us and giving us grace to give more. It’s a privilege. I look forward to how this will deepen my relationship with Jesus!
Adrianne, we are in the process of adopting right now, too. And it’s a journey that demands faith, isn’t it? I’m praying for you right now- asking God to provide all you need and lead you one step at a time with His kindness and love. Blessings as your family grows!
I love how Jesus always knows what I need to hear, when I need to hear it. This devotional was uplifting and encouraging for my tired mama soul. Please pray that God would restore my spirit and fill my cup with his never ending patience, love and wisdom.