Page 18 - News On 7 May 2024

IN A WORLD OF CHALLENGES: THE ROLE OF FAITH AND
INTENTIONAL NURTURING IN MOTHERHOOD

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall
talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
~ Deuteronomy 6:6-7
As we step into the vibrant month of May, with nature blooming around us and the promise of new beginnings in the air, I
find myself reflecting on the profound act of nurturing that defines this season of growth. It is in these moments of natural
renewal that we are reminded of the power of care, love, and intentionality in shaping not just the world around us but also
the lives we touch.
Recently, I had a powerful experience that emphasized the significance of nurturing our children, especially considering the
current state of the world and the path society is heading. During a baby shower at Madoc Baptist Church, a church
member named Heather McCuaig delivered a moving devotional that truly touched my heart. Her words highlighted the
noble role of motherhood, the value of purposeful nurturing, and the lasting influence we can have on future generations
through love and faith.
Here is Heather’s devotional:
In her book, “Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full”, Gloria Furman writes,
“For better or for worse, mothers are the makers of men. They are the architects of the next generation. That’s why the goal
of becoming a Godly mother is the highest, and most noble pursuit of womanhood for those who are called to be mothers.
God has specially equipped women for that very purpose, and in Christ, women can experience profound satisfaction in
that divinely ordained pursuit. Choosing to nurture and sustain life through the giving of your body, your livelihood, and
your future, flies in the face of our worldly society.”

In a society that values “Mommy pampering”, “wine moms”, and “tik tok motherhood”, our calling is to raise children who
will have an eternal impact on the world around them.
But what does that look like?
In Isaiah 26, we read, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in
the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting strength.”
If we are to live up to the high calling of Godly motherhood, our minds must be stayed on Christ. And if our minds are to be
stayed on Christ, we need to be in His Word. I would like to encourage you by looking at Susanna Wesley.
Susanna Wesley, the mother of John, Charles, and Samuel Wesley, had 19 children, (although nine of them died during
childhood, leaving only ten to reach adulthood). Susanna was very intentional about raising her children to know the Lord,
and she had a unique way of being intentional about carving out daily time with the Lord. Susanna Wesley committed two
hours to prayer and Bible study each day, and would sit on a chair in the kitchen for those two hours, with her apron
flipped up over her head, making a kind of private tent. During those two hours, the older children would attend to the
younger, the children would engage in school work, chores, or quiet play, knowing that while Mother sat there with her
apron over her head, they were not to disturb her under any circumstances. The fact that Susanna had many children in the
house at any given time, was not a deterrent to spending time with God.
Motherhood is difficult. You are entering a period of interrupted sleep, long bouts of crying, potentially long days without
much adult interaction, being tied to the couch while feeding the baby, learning curves and adjustments, and that’s not
even the toddler years, where your baby is constantly on the move and you always have to have an eye out. In the midst of
this chaos, in the midst of the tiredness, in the midst of the haze that is new motherhood, be careful not to neglect time
alone each day in God’s Word.
Motherhood can be difficult, but God promises to keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed on him, and our minds
will be stayed on him if we are in His Word.
So today, as you embark on this exciting and rewarding phase of life, commit each day to the Lord, to his Word, and to the
work and worship to which he is calling you through motherhood.

To read more go to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16gnScp9RFx0oUv5HsVNzqLDEz59s34qFz5OWXLX7EXg/edit