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A mother’s duty—is to train him up for God, heaven, and eternity.

A mother’s dignity—to educate the family of the Almighty Creator of the universe.

A mother’s difficulty—to raise a fallen sinful creature to holiness and virtue.

A mother’s encouragement—the promise of Divine grace to assist her in her momentous duties.

A mother’s relief—to bear the burden of her cares to God in prayer.

A mother’s hope—is to meet her child in glory everlasting, and spend eternal ages of delight with him before the throne of God and the Lamb.

Extreme fear set in after I lost my husband Michael–fear about everything, including our one-and-a-half-year-old son. “How on earth will I raise my son without his dad?” “There is no way he will grow up to be everything I dreamed of for him.” “Will his faith stand strong?” “I can’t do this alone.”

I remarried nearly six years ago, so I’m also helping raise two more sons, my husband Keith’s children. Knowing that God placed me in their lives, raising these three boys is an honor and a huge responsibility–one that can sometimes leave me overwhelmed. When I find myself in this place, I know I’m using my own strength and focusing too much on my circumstances and not enough on Him.

I was introduced to the excerpt above as part of a mom’s Bible study group. It was written in the 1800s by a pastor named John James during one of his many sermons on womanhood. In the last three lines, I find so much hope, that I couldn’t help but share!

As a mom who is a Believer, leading my son to Christ, especially after horrific circumstances, has been my number one goal in this life. At first, I was unsure how I would do it alone. But as the months and years have passed, I have experienced how the Lord has been by my side walking this journey of widowhood, motherhood, and family blending with me.

You see, we aren’t doing this parenting thing by ourselves. Sure, it may be called “solo parenting,” but our God is with us to give grace when we fall short, to bear the burden when our children don’t follow where we lead, and to provide hope that one day we will meet again in Heaven, in a place of no pain and suffering–only JOY!

I have always known that my faith doesn’t have the power to save, but I also know the Lord continues to use my faith to draw my son close to Him. (He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was baptized in April!) Though he’s only glimpsed at the Lord’s faithfulness in his own life, I share my experiences of how the Lord has worked through my life, and then point out ways He is currently working in his. Because that is what God calls us to do–love him and share His love with our children.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

Yes, it’s our responsibility as mothers to lead our children, but this weight isn’t all on us. Our children make their own choices as they grow, and the Lord is ultimately in control. He can use our circumstances and faith to impact them, no matter their age. I also know firsthand that He can provide fatherly figures to help mentor them. That’s the beauty of His faithfulness. Whether it’s a mentor at church, a close family friend, or a father on this earth, God provides within the spiritual family at times what is missing in the biological family. And that, sisters, should bring you peace!

Whether our children are young or grown, the Lord is with us during each season of life and every situation we face.

In the midst of busy schedules, grief, blending a family, and the many things that compete to control our minds, it can be easy to focus on the difficulties of our circumstances. Instead, let us place our eyes on the ONE who is in control–Jesus. He is there to guide us.

Lord, Help us to lean on you in everything we do, including motherhood. At times our focus strays to what we don’t have on this earth. Give us a heart of gratitude. Remind us of what we do have – YOU, and that You are with us, standing beside us, upholding us, with every step we take along this journey. Amen.