Skip to main content

Gaps

I have in no way arrived in this, but God has been working on something in my heart: "Perfect mom" and "Good mom" are not the same thing. I've been noticing that deep in my heart, when my mistakes and shortcomings slap me in the face, I immediately feel failure.

The enemy has been lying to me, telling me:
*Since I'm not perfect, I must be a failure.
*If it's hard, it must be bad.
*When training my kids is redundant, it's because I'm doing it wrong.

...but here's the truth:
*"Consistent" means OVER AND OVER.
*Shortcuts SEEM easier, but leaning in to the "hard" is well worth it.
*And no parent is perfect, but God fills in the gaps... and when we pour our whole hearts into our children and husband and still have gaps, and the Father fills in for us, HE IS GLORIFIED!

What a mighty God we serve.

Comments

  1. Reggie Howard AuthorMarch 23, 2013 at 12:16 AM

    Your words are very true. I look at my kids and I know the Lord has always been compensating for their parents' shortcomings. The other side is that kids are very good at reading hearts when the hearts are open and true. I thank Susan for compensating for my Howardness and helping me let me heart be open and volnerable. Without that I think my kids could be a wreck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Natalie TrustApril 9, 2013 at 11:17 PM

    Anna, I found your blog through Joy Wiseman.

    I was just considering writing about a promise- of sorts- that I made while I was pregnant with my son about the whole idea of being a good mom. Now that I've had a chance to read your thoughts, I may just go ahead and write that piece.

    Appreciate your writing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Caitlin Kristine PhotographyApril 27, 2013 at 9:35 AM

    I love that God is so much smarter than us! And that HIS way is ALWAYS the best way! And when the GAPS need filled, they're filled with HIS BEST!

    Praise God, who is the giver of TRUE LIFE - the kind life that we don't just live in, but the kind of life that we can truly THRIVE in.

    May you always be filled with the JOY He gives. (c:

    Love you, friend!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Snag

  Are you tired of hearing about sickness yet?      Seems like a swirl of illness has been making its way through all the pods of community around us. Despite all our elderberry and all the home remedies this grow-your-own geek Mama could muster, the germs entered our household too.    The big ones were down first, a sister shortly after. Then the Little Bear, and Papa Bear. One sister and I escaped, and eventually even the combination of our introverted selves and a can't-go-anywhere week finally gave way to some restlessness. She began begging to be dropped off at a friend's house, and I think I inwardly begged the same- ha!    I hadn't quite counted the cost of it all. The week wrapped up, and the nights settled, but the sour and the "hey Mama"s continued. All of a sudden my heart began to resist. The quiet, restful days had been nice for a little while. I got some projects done that I don't have time for during full-swing school at the table. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Small Victory

I have a small victory to share with you:  Let me give some context... I blogged about the loss of children recently, verbally stomping my feet and telling the enemy that I will have no more of it- and that I have chosen my side and refuse to budge. The children God has given me "on loan" are all so different... Jonathan was an easy baby, and is currently a whirl-wind 3 1/2 yr old- he is FULL of energy, curiosity, music, rythm, he is friendly, relational, deep (yes, deep!), always thinking, processing, talking... He knows about God and that Jesus is real, and he knows that his baby sister Evelyn is safe with Jesus. Henry was a difficult baby, and is an easy 2 yr-old!  He adores his  brother and wants to be where he is, he gives AMAZING hugs, likes to be held, likes books, connects quickly with people, is caring, noisy, talkative, fast... and still has his innocence. He likes to pray. Evelyn has changed my life more than anything. Her body was tiny, but her exis...
11 comments
Read more

Snip, Snip

  Isn't pruning just your favorite Biblical topic? Right next to submission and death to self, for sure. I've been thinking about pruning after a great conversation about it recently, and today I set out in the sunshine to finish up some winter pruning on the fruit trees. I waited WAY too long to prune my fruit trees because it kinda scared me, but after seeing the explosive growth that happens as a result, I am much more willing to chop and trim and collect a pile of twigs for future burn piles.  Three aspects of pruning registered in my heart while clipping: Prune off branches that will grow into each other. One of the purposes of pruning is to keep branches from tangling with each other. I was taught to clip off little growths that WILL run into another branch, even if it will take a long time for the intersection to happen. It is so, so much easier to snip a little twig than a 2" branch. Don't wait until the two areas of growth have tangled- look at the direction e...
Post a Comment
Read more