A Mother’s Love: In the Beginning

Proverbs 1:7     “The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.”

I am a mother.

I would give my last breath to protect my children from harm.  I love them so fiercely that sometimes, it hurts. I began my walk with God long before I became a parent, but I am a stubborn woman and many of my life lessons have been (and still are) learned the hard way. I used to pray daily that God would protect my children from that kind of heartache. I used to plead with Him to open their hearts and ears to my guidance so they would trust that I knew what was best for them.

And then it dawned on me… (and I felt so foolish for not seeing it sooner)

God is MY Father.  He wants me to trust in Him and to heed His words.  How His heart must ache every time I try to do things my own way!  In fact, He gave His only son to offer me eternal life.  It was the ultimate sacrifice, given in the hope of building an everlasting family. I don’t deserve that kind of love, but for some reason, unknown to me, He whispered into my heart and called me out of a life of sin. Now I see parenting in a different light.

God has a sense of humour beyond compare.  I used to get so frustrated when my children did not obey me.  In fact, I am ashamed to admit that I often felt enraged and lost my temper too quickly in their presence. (Did I mention that I am stubborn and that I learn lessons the hard way?)  One day (as I was having one of these parental temper tantrums) it became instantly obvious to me that I was behaving as badly as my own child.  (Except that I was a baptised adult and had no excuse for my behaviour).  In that moment, I realised that I did not fear God enough and that I needed to become an obedient child of His.  I finally understood that the Bible is not just a collection of stories and rules. His word is His gift to His children.  It is a collection of life lessons and parental guidance intended to soften our hearts and lead us to eternal life.

The book of Proverbs is a good place to start.  I hope that you will take this journey with me as I explore these scriptures (from chapter 1 to 31) and share some of the life lessons that I have learned (the hard way).  I can only pray that reading about some of my hardships and blessings will inspire you to choose an easier path and guide you toward the peace that only God can give.

Love, Mom xox