Moms have the most rewarding role in the whole world, by far.
But with that reward comes some very heavy responsibilities as well, responsibilities that we must continue to carry even in the midst of tragedy or personal suffering. This seems almost impossible at times.
Podcast episode 127 and this blog post are here to bring encouragement to the mama who is suffering or in despair. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO EPISODE 127, "Need Encouragement? Hope in Suffering."
I've heard from several moms lately who are brokenhearted – newly widowed, a terminal cancer diagnosis, a grown child who seems to be walking away from truth, a high schooler who has run away, a family member sentenced to prison...
Those are some very painful burdens to carry. They’ve shared about sleepless nights, aching hearts, and not understanding how this could be happening.
If you also are going through some difficult times right now, if a dark cloud of suffering or fear or loneliness is hovering over your life, maybe this week's podcast episode and blog is for you.
There's so much I don't understand about suffering, but God does reveal some truth to us in scripture about difficult times.
💙God promises to work all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11)
💙You can also know that his heart breaks with yours. He has great compassion on everything you are enduring and He promises that your endurance will produce hope. (Psalm 147:3, Psalm 55:22, Romans 5:3)
💙The Bible tells us to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Here are three things that I have gained from my times of suffering:
1. My suffering seasons have been the closest I have ever been to God. It is like living on a whole new level of communing with Him when I was at the end of myself and had nothing left so that anything I did was actually God through me. It was in the valley that I got to know just how faithful and compassionate and steadfast and how real is the love of God. I experienced the Bible verse that says that He is a friend who is even closer than a brother.
(Proverbs 18:24, Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.")
2. My suffering brought me closer to those I love and taught me to value each moment we have together. It actually transformed every future relationship because I came to realize just how precious and how fleeting are our moments together.
3. The season of suffering in my life gave me a very important gift -the gift of my victory song. I talk about this in episode 60. Our victory song comes after. It is being written during the time of suffering. Then once the storm has passed, we have our victory song. It is our sacred story of God’s faithfulness. It is our song of Isaiah 46:4, that I mention so often to all of you, when God says, "I am He. I am he who made you and I will carry you and I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Our victory song is, “God made me. He carried me. He sustained me. He rescued me.” Our victory song will be a very important thing to sing over our children when they are going through suffering, letting them know that you also suffered and God carried you through and He rescued you.
* I can speak to my kids with hope in the midst of their difficulty because I have experienced God's faithfulness.
*I can speak to them with peace in the middle of my pain because I've experienced God's goodness.
* I can speak with conviction in the midst of temptation, because I have learned that giving in to temptation brings heartache while staying strong through temptation yields God's blessings. I have lived on both sides of the temptation.
This is my victory song. My hardship had purpose.
My precious, precious mom friend, you may feel hard pressed on every side, but the Lord God is with you. He is actually sheltering you under His wing. (Psalm 18:5, II Corinthians 4:8, Isaiah 49:16, Psalm 91:4)
Allow God to write your victory song so that you can share it with your children as they go through difficult times.
Now, can I pray over you, mama? (For more mom prayers from the Practically Speaking MOM, click here)
Dear Heavenly Father,
In the name of Jesus, I pray for these moms and their families. Only you know the anguish or fear or worry that they are enduring. Please help them to lean into you and trust you.
Give them peace in their spirit.
Give them strength in their body.
Give them wisdom for decisions.
Give them courage to do what is best for their family, not what is easy or comfortable.
Give them hope that you hold the future and you have promised to never leave them or forsake them.
You have promised to be the father to the fatherless and the husband to the widow. You have promised to be a shield and a defender. We thank you for these promises and we trust you alone, Jesus. Amen.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts throCLICK HEREugh the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
CLICK HERE to listen to Episode 127 "Need Encouragement? HOPE in Suffering."
CLICK HERE to listen to Episode 60 "Let God Write Your VICTORY SONG"
CLICK HERE for Val's Blog Post, a "COLLECTION OF MOM PRAYERS by the Practically Speaking MOM"
Did you know: On the HOME PAGE of PracticallySpeakingMOM.com there are six rooms of an intentional home. Click on each room to find help for that room. Click on the FRONT PORCH for taking care of YOU, mama, including building your relationship with God.