3 Truths God Taught Me In a Decade of Mothering

I have been a mother for a decade, yet this fact still does not seem real to me. It feels like just months ago I was holding my first baby in my arms. In reality, I became a first-time mom ten years ago, and less than six years later, I was a mom of four. Over the past decade, as my oldest has grown into a beautiful young lady, I have grown both as a woman and as a mom.

God Is With Us

My daughter was a few days old, lying in her crib crying. I stood there watching her cry, feeling helpless and wondering what in the world I had done. My husband was returning to work the next day, and I was not ready. I left my crying baby, went to my husband, looked him in the eyes and told him he could not go back to work yet. I was afraid to spend the whole day by myself with my baby.

Of course, he went back to work. He had to. Over the next few days, God taught me that I was not alone in my mothering. He was near. He was with me. In those days when it was just my baby and me in the house, and I was feeling lost and alone, he reaffirmed that he was with me, that there was nowhere I could go that he would not be. During the two a.m. nursings and the four a.m. attempts to get my baby to sleep, he was there. Sometimes as a mom, you can feel isolated from the rest of the world. At those times, cling to the truth that God is with you.

God Will Give Us Rest

I am not sure my husband and I really knew what we were doing having four kids in under six years, but I wouldn’t change it for anything–now. I say “now” because all my kids are potty trained (I changed diapers for eight straight years!) and they all sleep through the night (so do I). However, there were years–years–when that was not the case. My life consisted of repeated cycles of pregnancy, nursing, middle-of-the-night potty runs, and night terrors for a few years. Sleep was something I daydreamed about.

Even though I can recall how sleep deprived I was during those years, it almost seems foreign to me now because I am in a season of rest. God will give us rest–true rest, not just sleep–when we seek him. Yes, I am sleeping through the night, but my mind and my soul are in a season of rest as well. During my early years of mothering, anxiety and stress filled me. Now I have found my groove and am enjoying motherhood more fully. At the same time, I am sure there will be more angst and sleepless nights ahead. In the blink of an eye, my oldest will be a teen who will be pushing curfews and learning to drive. For now, though, I will savor this season of rest. If you are a tired mom, seek God, cling to him, and trust that he will give you rest.

His Grace is Sufficient

When I was actively employed before motherhood, I worked hard and was good at my job. When I became a mom, for the first time in my life I felt like I had no idea what to do. I constantly felt like I was failing. However, even though I was feeling those things, they weren’t true. God made me the mom of my four little blessings. He entrusted them to me, and in doing so, he equipped me. During times when I feel like I fall short, I remember his grace is sufficient. We are all imperfect, so why I ever felt like I could be a perfect mom is beyond me. Today I do my best, knowing it’s all I can do. When I feel like my best comes up short, I remember God’s grace is abundant.

The last ten years have gone by in a flash. I can’t fathom how fast the next ten will go, but as they pass I will keep my eyes on Jesus and cling to the truths that he is with me, he will give me rest, and his grace is sufficient.

Heather Gerwing is a homeschooling mom of four. She is a Jersey girl at heart but now lives in Michigan with her husband Jeff and their kids. Heather enjoys reading, coffee-ing, worshiping, and writing. She is passionate about her family and living the full life. You can find her at heathergerwing.com.