Because They Call Me Mom

10 May

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 Mother’s often struggle with mommy guilt over words uttered in anger, cookies unmade, plans not brought to fruition, and energy misappropriated.

The heart of most mothers’ is full of good intentions, noble purposes, and best-laid plans. However, the crumbs, melt-downs, mood swings of teens, and business of life leave the portrait of our days painted differently than the landscape in our minds-eye.

Take heart: God redeems the imperfections and the masterpieces of those who seek to live and love through a righteous life.

 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8, NIV)

Mom’s, under normal circumstances children will remember much of the good and less of the bad. That is what equips them to make their own parenting choices in the future. It leads them to the Father. It reminds them of an agape love that only the one Father can provide all of the time.

God has equipped children with the greatest capacity for love and forgiveness. It is true, our children reflect the gospel.

Yesterday at breakfast, one of my boys was crying over the way I had prepared his English muffin. That did it. The crying over his daily bread broke me into fitful pieces and  the peace in our home was sliced right through.

Ron helped clean up the crumbs of crisis and loaded the kids in the car for a park date and me some much needed alone time. Before leaving,  my son came bearing good-bye kisses and kneaded the dough of love into his mama’s heart. I needed that.

As he left, simply these words, “I have hugs and kisses in my heart for you and dad when we get back too mama.”

Great love. Great forgiveness. Great grace. Those are the ingredients of the spiritual and the generational families of this life and the next.

Because they call me mom I must call on the Father more.

Because they call me mom I have added accountability to practice what I preach.

Because they call me mom I have kisses and hugs in abundance.

In short, I am blessed…because they call me mom.

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This post is in honor of my mom. I am blessed to call you mom and live in your love. ~Brooke

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For Those Mourning this Mother’s Day

8 May

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Mother’s Day 2012 was bittersweet. The month of May brought much heartache to family and friends through the loss of two beautiful women. One a grandmother the other a young mother. As my heart aches for the families grieving I pray for answers to questions and new challenges that these women’s absence continues to bring.

The pain of death is surely felt by the undeparted.

 I was reminded that God is a parent that outlived His son. God the Father did not spare His own son, but gave Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. We cannot rush through this fact: God. sent. His. son. to. die.

We anticipate reunification with our loved-ones in death because Jesus died and rose again. His resurrected body is reunited with God the Father as our’s will be with those who have gone before us into heaven.

As a result of Jesus rising from the dead He is restored to not only the Father, but to all mankind as well. Further, those who place their faith in the cleansing blood of Christ Jesus will be reunited with family and friends in heaven who are of the same conviction and belief.

Bible verses preached at the grieving absent the Holy Spirit seem dull and lifeless. However, with the Holy Spirit, God’s living word soothes our anxious grief-stricken souls–if even moment by moment. God’s well of mercy has not run dry nor shall it til Christ returns. He promises He will comfort us; both parent and child.

When a child dies before his or her parent, or when a child looses their parent, the Trinity is familiar with this pain and will  give us all that is needed to walk through our tragedy and loss (Romans 8:32). If Mother’s Day is a day of grief for you this year due to the loss of a mother or child I pray God’s peace and blessing on your soul. May the God of all comfort comfort you in your time of need (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Those who mourn shall indeed be comforted (Matthew 5:4) both in this life and in eternity. Harder days may lie ahead but you never walk alone.

Home is indeed a place called heaven. Perhaps you are more anxious to arrive now that you know more familiar faces await you…He has already wiped away your loved one’s tears.

Photo by my friend Hannah F.

*A re-post.

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What I Learned at My First Youth Pastor’s Conference

17 Apr

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Sitting in the Hard Rock concert hall in Orlando, I contemplated the irony that my first youth pastor’s conference comes about eight months after our six year tenor as youth pastor and wife had officially ended. I further considered the hilarity that the “cool” students in youth groups  initially intimidate me nearly as much as the youth workers with swag!

After settling into my cushioned seat, along with my surroundings,  the people watching began. As workers and volunteers filed into the auditorium it didn’t take long for mommies and daddies carrying babies in infant backpacks to catch my attention.  I was instantly reminded:

The sacrifices and juggling youth pastors and their wives endure to meet the needs of students is one of the most unseen tasks of the ministry.

For moms partnering alongside their pastor husbands, babies bring love and logistical issues. The will, passions, and heart of the mother are oftentimes torn between the desire to be the visual, involved helpmate of her pastor husband. While loving my job and joy as a mother, I often struggled with the desire to experience all of the riches of youth ministry: trips, conferences, discipleship, after church meals and fellowships. However, the choices of: a. bring the kids and chase after them… and the youth, or b. find a sitter to pay while I enjoy ministry, were both less than ideal.

If you are in the midst of ministering to teens or are parents of teens, would you agree that at times this portion of ministry seems like the leach and daughters in Proverbs 30; always crying for more? As a youth pastor’s wife, I often felt this way. (I can say that now, although it is with great fear and trepidation even after running in a different lane of ministry for 8 months!) Youth ministry is demanding and the pace strenuous.

Please understand, I loved pouring our lives into the next generation. Our aim was to minister so that fully devoted disciples would be made to reach the nations and the generations with the gospel for the glory of Jesus Christ. However, there was an ongoing struggle, a wrestle if you will, with my flesh, our families needs, and the demands and desires to minister as God would have both of us do.

At this conference I learned very valuable ministry methods, was reminded of the global needs of God’s created world, and reviewed with speakers the true critical issues of youth ministry. But, perhaps the most valuable challenge for me specifically was the reminder to pray for youth pastor’s and specifically their wives.

Join me today in praying for the youth pastor’s wife in your church. I hope the bullet points below would be a good launch pad for your prayers.

  • Pray for God’s peace for the current pace they are running.
  • Pray for endurance and perserverance under stresses.
  • Pray that they will see the value in all tasks both the seen (ministering to and with teens and adult workers) and the unseen (ministering to their husband within the home).
  • Pray for peer friendships and women to pour into them.
  • Pray for peace when she cannot go with him on trips.
  • Pray for God to guard and guide their marriage relationship.
  • Pray for their children and the faith and Christian worldview to come to full fruition in their lives.

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