LIFE LESSONS FROM MOTHERHOOD

Lesson One: *What you imagine or dream of will not always be the reality.*

• We must release what we imagine and embrace what is before us. The reality is that it’s a lot messier than you thought it would be.

• When we feel overwhelmed, we can trust that God is with us. Rather than resisting the urge to control the narrative, we can rest in knowing that God is with us and going before us.

• Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the *Lord, and put their trust in him.*

Lesson Two: Say you’re sorry.

• When we mess up, when we lose our temper, apologize. Own it. Confess it.

• We need to own our actions, repent, and ask for forgiveness rather than justifying them.

• Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Lesson Three: Letting go is not easy, but it’s necessary.

• As our kids enter their teen years and young adolescence, we practice letting go. As they grow up, we begin slowly releasing them and giving them more responsibilities and freedoms.

• “Being a mother is a lot like teaching a child to ride a bicycle. You must know when to hold on and when to let go. If you lack the courage to let go, you’re going to get very tired of running alongside.”

• Stages of Parenting: The Discipline Years (0-5 years); The Training Years (5-12 years); The Coaching Years (12-18 years); The Friendship Years (Adult/Friendship) *Andy Stanley’s book “Parenting: Getting It Right”

• “Kids move from one stage to the next without thought or effort. But parents don’t.”

• Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-13,18

• When we have done all, we know how to do…we stand! We face the storm, and we stand. How? God.

Parenting Resources:

Parenting: Getting It Right by Andy Stanley
Sacred Parent: How Raising Children Shapes Our Soul by Gary Thomas
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian