Three Cheers for Mothers

Last night I attended my daughter's cheer banquet. As I sat and listened to the coaches take the time to talk thoughtfully and beautifully about each one of the girls on the team it struck me once again what an awesome provider God is...how He gives us other trustworthy women to help "mother" our daughters. It reminded me of how far God has brought me from my early fears that I wrote about in Growing Friendships...

When I got pregnant I became aware of the many fears that I had about being a mother to a little girl. I became aware of the areas I lacked and the things I didn’t know how to do. Things like French braiding hair or talking to a teen-ager (I didn’t know what to do with myself in my teen years and nobody else seemed to know either so how on earth was I going to know how to talk to my own teen?). As my pregnancy progressed, the Lord eased my fears by showing me that He had surrounded me with a circle of friends; women that loved Christ, loved me and loved my daughter, women that each possess gifts that they generously shared through friendship with me and my family. I didn’t need to know how to French braid because Grace could go see “Auntie” Heather for that. If Grace didn’t want to talk to me about certain things as a teen I could direct her to her “Auntie” Andrea or her “Auntie” Sue. Christ also reminded me of the all important fact that if I were the “perfect” mother what indeed would my daughter need a Savior for?

In Captivating, author Stasi Eldredge invites women to ponder the following question, “God wanted to reveal something about himself, so he gave us Eve. When you are with a woman, ask yourself, what is she telling me about God? It will open up wonders for you.”

Embracing your circle of friends, or as I put it in this chapter “Wearing your crown,” has everything to do with acknowledging that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” that your friend is too, and that together you make the world around you even more bright and more beautiful; together you crown the world with a more complete vision of who God is and of what His love looks like.

Wearing the crown is saying that you don’t need to be perfect and good at everything. It is saying that you need people in your life. It is allowing yourself to be inspired by the women that surround you. It is acknowledging that you are gifted in this way, and that this other gift is not yours, but your sisters. This is not complacency (as some would think), but permission to be freed from your own expectations. (Growing Friendships, page 124-125, Bethany House)

Who are the women God has placed in your life to help you "mother" your children? Take a minute to say a prayer of gratitude for these lovely "Sisters in Christ." If you feel lonely in your mothering and have a desire to have women come alongside you in this way, can I encourage you to pray about that? Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the women He would like you to initiate with, open up to, live life with. We weren't meant to travel this road alone.

Blessings,
Tracy Klehn