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Episode 14: When Motherhood Isn't What You Imagined
60 Plays3 years ago
Mentioned in this episode:
The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
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Transcript
Introduction to Root Like Faith
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Ruth Schwank and I'm so thrilled you're listening in with us at Root Like Faith. It is our deepest desire to encourage and equip men and women to be rooted in God's Word, transformed by the love of Jesus, and moved by His mission in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more important.
Motherhood Series Preview
00:00:21
Speaker
On today's episode of Root Like Faith, we are giving a peek into our newest series that's coming up. And then we're also diving into the topic of motherhood. You know, just the hard realities, but also the holy calling. This is going to be good. Let's get started.
Family Themes Discussion
00:00:40
Speaker
OK, let's start out today by talking about where we are going over the next few weeks. I'm really excited from Mother's Day to Father's Day. We've kind of got a family theme going on. We do. We've got it. We've got a number of weeks here between Mother's Day, which is coming up this Sunday. Happy Mother's Day to me. Can I just I don't know if I'm.
00:01:01
Speaker
I don't know if I'm allowed to admit this or not, but I've already bought your Mother's Day card. You did? And I know Mother's Day is just not that far away, but I've actually had it for several weeks. Stop it. I can't tell you the relief I feel when I buy that card. And I not only bought you a card, but I also bought one for the kids to give to you.
00:01:20
Speaker
So is that spoiling it? Is that wrong? But anyways, all that to say, I've got just a whole host of things planned. OK, wait. Hold on. It's going to be a big weekend. OK, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute. I have to stop there, because is this real? Did you really already buy the car? How do you act like I never do that? This is normal for me. Well, we're recording this for the listener right now. We're recording, like, I don't know. What date is it, even? I don't even know. It's the middle of April. We're in April.
00:01:48
Speaker
That is really impressive.
Teaching Kids About Faith
00:01:50
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you, honey. You know what? Aw, you thought of me way before. Every time I'm in Target, I see the cards and I was in there recently and I thought this is, it's time. Wow. And it's not like I just picked one up either, you know what I mean? I gave some serious time and consideration. I read at least three cards before I picked out the one that was right. Okay, all right. Okay, maybe we should move on now. Okay.
00:02:17
Speaker
Anyways, yes, Mother's Day is coming up. It's this Sunday. And so we've got just a number of things that are family related that we're going to cover in this kind of this mini series between Mother's Day and Father's Day. So we're going to be talking about really how we're made to know God, we're made to walk with Him and reflect who He is in the world, that we're made to tell the truth about who God is with our lives. That's our fundamental identity. And so over the next couple of weeks, as we kind of root ourselves in some of these family themes, we're going to be talking about how do we help our kids know the character of God?
00:02:46
Speaker
And so just thinking about that, how important that is, is we're raising kids and discipling them on our homes, preparing to release them someday in the world. What do we wanna teach them about the very character of God, about his attributes? So we're gonna be talking- Like what do you want them to walk away from home knowing about and believing about God?
00:03:03
Speaker
And we're gonna talk about, you know, how do you really help your kids actively pursue an independent relationship with Jesus or their own relationship? And so as you think about when your kids are young, you're teaching them and you're praying for them and you're modeling what it looks like to follow Jesus. But the reality is someday they're going to either choose to follow Jesus or not follow Jesus. And so we're really talking about that theme.
Addressing Cultural Issues
00:03:24
Speaker
Like how do we really begin parenting in such a way that our kids want to follow Jesus? Of course, that's a work of God's grace in our life.
00:03:31
Speaker
how do we cultivate habits and, you know, just sort of train them and teach them to one day cultivate their own relationship. And I think, I don't know, just from personal experience speaking here, just, and of course, we're in ministry with you being a pastor, obviously,
00:03:47
Speaker
I think one of the most incredible things is to finally see as your children, our oldest is in college now. And then we have the second oldest is a junior in high school. And I just think, you know, to see their faith become their own. Wow. It's really it really is incredible. It's amazing because you're like, oh, yes.
00:04:10
Speaker
Well, we'll come back to that theme, obviously, in the weeks to come or in particular that week. And then we're also going to be talking about just how do we help our kids reflect who God is in the world. And we're going to talk, in particular, just what it looks like to live on mission as a follower of Jesus. And we're going to be talking about important cultural issues that we as parents have got to be talking to our kids about. And so whether that's abortion or whether that's issues related to sexuality, I mean, there's all sorts of things that are going on today that we need to be teaching our kids, not just the scripture, but how to rightly apply them in the culture.
00:04:39
Speaker
that we're living in. And so we've got all sorts of fun stuff planned over the next couple of weeks as we move into Mother's Day and head towards Father's Day. So we really hope that you stick around and join us over the next couple of weeks as we dive into some of these really, really important family related issues and rooting our kids in faith.
Emotional Challenges of Mother's Day
00:04:55
Speaker
Yeah, well today we're starting out by talking about Mother's Day and for all the moms listening, Happy Mother's Day. You know, I just I want to recognize right here up front that Mother's Day can be a very painful time for some people when the hard reality of our lives doesn't match up with what we had envisioned.
00:05:17
Speaker
And whether that is child loss, infertility, a child that has gone wayward, our own mother being absent in our lives, or something else, I just want to recognize that up front, that there's definitely hard parts of Mother's Day for many, many people.
00:05:37
Speaker
and we're thinking of you and we are praying for you this weekend. And what's interesting to me as we talk about motherhood and we talk about the painful realities of motherhood, I do think there is beauty that can come from it when we see the impact that maybe somebody had on our life that wasn't our mom.
00:06:02
Speaker
But was that mother figure in our life, or maybe we're a mother figure to somebody who isn't necessarily our biological or adopted child, maybe it's just somebody that we have an impact on like a mother would. So that's so interesting to me that God gives us that.
00:06:22
Speaker
Absolutely. I think about in the scriptures, how many times the Apostle Paul refers to himself as a spiritual father, in particular to young Timothy. And so what you're saying is true as well for different women who've been like a spiritual mom.
Ruth's Mother's Day Reflections
00:06:36
Speaker
And so we all have those women in our lives, whether it's a mom or a spiritual mom, just different influences. And so today, yeah, as we dive into this topic, we're talking parenting, but in particular, we're talking about Mother's Day. I mean, this is a
00:06:48
Speaker
a time where we're celebrating just the impact that a mom has had in our life, or maybe somebody else who's maybe been like a spiritual mom. And so as we're diving into this topic, well, first of all, you're a great mom. I just want to say that. Honey. You're an amazing mom. OK, don't do this.
00:07:04
Speaker
Not for everybody here right now. I just want to state that those of you those of you that are listening that know Ruth upfront and in real life, you know what I'm talking about. She's the real deal. And so for all the books and the blogs and all of that stuff, you are the real deal. So I'm so thankful for the kind of mom you are to our kids.
00:07:25
Speaker
And so I just want to say thank you and happy Mother's Day officially. Thank you, honey. Thank you, honey. And I will say 19 years later, our oldest son is almost 19, almost 19 years later, I will say that it's not because I have any idea what I'm doing. You know, really, I mean, I just think you just keep clinging to God, but we'll get there. We'll talk about all that.
00:07:45
Speaker
Let's talk, because you're right, there are no perfect parents, there's no perfect dads, no perfect moms, and yet, when I think about just our own family, your life and journey as a mom, I mean, you've been blessed with some incredible influence, you've been blessed with an incredible mom, and you've been blessed with some incredible women around you that you've sought out wisdom and have an incredible influence in your life, both when our kids are young and still today. But as we dive in and talk about this topic, let's talk,
00:08:13
Speaker
in particular about our moms for a moment. When you think about your own mom, what are you most grateful for?
Seeking Spiritual Mentors
00:08:21
Speaker
Well, I think I'm grateful that she is, has always been there as far as she was steady, she was, you know what I mean? I could always depend on the fact that my mom was going to be there.
00:08:36
Speaker
And I think it's really interesting that you brought up that I have these other mom influences in my life because I think I just want to say right now, they didn't just appear, that I sought those women out. And because I think many of you know that I didn't grow up in a Christian home. So although my mother is amazing and she is a great mom still,
00:09:00
Speaker
spiritual mom I didn't necessarily have just because we didn't have we didn't you know my mom came to church though eventually after I actually became a Christian before your mom and your dad and praise God that both of them are followers of Jesus today and attend our local church
00:09:15
Speaker
But I just think it's interesting because I knew I needed that spiritual influence and I sought it out. And so I would encourage you, if you need that, go find it because there are women out there. And it might honestly be somebody that you only follow from a distance. You know, books can really mentor you as well.
00:09:35
Speaker
But I think we need different mentors and influences for different things. And even in different seasons, I would say, I just think about in my own life, there are guys that I go to for this or for that. And there were different guys that God put in my life for this particular season or that season. And so you're exactly right.
00:09:54
Speaker
I think that it's so important for us to take the initiative sometimes to seek godly counsel or influences a spiritual mom as we're talking about today. And that might change along the journey.
Influence of Ruth's Grandmother
00:10:05
Speaker
It might be for one area that you're really struggling with versus another. Your grandmother was a tremendous influence in your life. Yeah, I was just thinking my grandmother was all... I get that same sense when I think about my grandmother that she was always there.
00:10:17
Speaker
for me as well. So I think just the presence makes such a difference. The presence and knowing that you're loved and cared for no matter what. It didn't matter what I was doing or anything I knew that they were both going to be there.
00:10:32
Speaker
Yeah, you know, my my mom really quickly before we move on, you know, my mom, of course, passed away in November of 2012. My dad passed away in 2010. But one of the things I am so thankful for when I think about my mommy, my mom grew up. She was born in a coal mining town in Kentucky.
00:10:49
Speaker
And shortly after graduating high school, moved to Indiana. That's how we got to Indiana. And my mom had so many different gifts and some of the decisions she made back then affected who I am today. But one of the things I am most grateful for with my mom is she modeled for me what it looked like to suffer. And she had lots of different health issues over the years and spent the last, I don't know how many years of her life in a wheelchair.
00:11:16
Speaker
and was with her when she passed away along with my sisters. But this site of cancer, as we've been walking through that over the last couple of years, I have thought almost every single day how grateful I am that she modeled what it looked like to walk with Jesus during really difficult times and to persevere and to trust God. And so I remember somebody asked her not long after my dad died, what's the biggest lesson that you've learned?
00:11:40
Speaker
And she answered that question with, you know, God's grace really is sufficient. And so she really modeled that, just walking through difficult times. So I'm so grateful for her example in that particular area. So I know we need to move on.
00:11:55
Speaker
But let's talk a little bit about just being a mom when you were young. At what point did you really think about being a mom or desire to
Ruth's Dream of Motherhood
00:12:03
Speaker
be a mom? So you think back to when you were eight, nine, 10, 11, you were listening to Cyndi Lauper and doing your bangs, spray-painting those bangs straight up in the air. I did actually have what my whole family called the wall.
00:12:17
Speaker
Um, you know, but that was in then. Okay. So it was and I used, um, Oh, what was the name of that? Uh, Oh, I can't remember the name of that hairspray. Oh, I wish I could. It was like at the tip on the tip of my tongue. LA something LA looks LA looks LA gear, but I think those were shoes.
00:12:33
Speaker
LA looks hairspray, I had the wall going on. How is it that a bald man remembered that? I don't know, but I'm glad you did. Because I know some of the listeners are like, oh yeah. Cyndi Lauper, I did listen to Cyndi Lauper, but anyways, okay, moving on. When did you start thinking as a young girl? When did you start thinking about being a mom? When did you have that desire?
00:12:55
Speaker
Yeah, so I think for me, I know this is different for everybody. So I grew up actually just dreaming of being a mom one day. I don't know exactly what age, but I kind of had this whole, like I knew how many kids I wanted to have. All of that was just in me from the beginning. Not that I had any idea what I was doing, but I definitely had it in my head at a very early age that I just could not wait to be a mom.
00:13:23
Speaker
No, that's so good. Let me ask you this. Over the years, when you think back to being a mom, obviously, as you were saying earlier, our kids are 19, well, almost 19. They're 18, 16, 14, and 12. Wow, you said those ages so fast, honey. I'm having a good day. I had an extra cup of coffee.
00:13:41
Speaker
Usually, we're like, okay, let me think about this. How many kids do we have? What were some of the unique challenges that you faced as a young mom then? What would you say are unique challenges that moms face
Isolation in Early Motherhood
00:13:52
Speaker
today? Obviously, even in that short amount of time,
00:13:56
Speaker
being a mom has changed, being a parent has changed. And we were just talking with some friends that they had their first child not too long ago. And we're kind of talking through that I was with the dad. But I mean, what are some unique challenges that you faced and that maybe moms face today that are a little bit different?
00:14:11
Speaker
Well, I think I can definitely I think the thing that sticks out the most to me is that I didn't have any idea what I was doing. And I had nowhere to look for help, or that's how I felt. And so for me, that felt like a unique challenge. I remember feeling very alone in motherhood, just trying to survive. And I honestly, that's kind of where I even that's where online ministry was even born.
00:14:39
Speaker
Um, with me was that I wanted to start an online community for moms where we have mom moms that were in all different stages, all different ages where we could learn and grow together. And so that's where the better mom.com even came from was that place where I felt alone and like, I just wanted some help, you know, and some insight. And, um, so I think that was unique then because maybe the internet wasn't as big.
00:15:05
Speaker
So which is interesting because now I would say that the unique challenge we face today is the internet. There's so much information out there. At that time it was like you couldn't get enough information. Like you wanted more and more about parenting and stuff and you had to search a lot online.
00:15:21
Speaker
You're right, and there's just so many, even within 20 years, there's so many resources available today for everything. And obviously, as we're talking about being a mom or being a parent, there's just a wealth of information out there. Yeah, I think today, the challenge is when we're sorting through that information, we're trying to figure out what should I listen to? What voices do I listen to and what voices don't I listen to? And then, of course, you've had the whole world of the internet
00:15:50
Speaker
and our kids, which is a whole nother challenge that moms face today that wasn't even a thought back then. But I would say that's the biggest challenge today is just trying to sort through the voices and not be overwhelmed by the people that we see that we feel like, because we all put the best out there online. Not all of us, but some of us put the best out there online.
00:16:16
Speaker
And when I see somebody else doing something, a lot of times that is a mom and maybe, okay, let me just give an example. They throw this amazing birthday party for their child. And then they, the next day they're, you know, throwing this amazing party for their kids basketball team. And then they're doing, and I'm like, oh my word, I really wish I could do things like that. You know, like I'm not.
00:16:40
Speaker
But you know what I mean? I think there's just so much pressure.
Social Media and Parenting Pressure
00:16:43
Speaker
Like we have this bar set so high when we're looking at the highlight reels of everybody's lives put together. Well, everybody's life has become so much more visible because of social media, right? And so that fuels comparison. And so we see now I can put out online on Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook what I'm doing or what my kids are doing. And so can everybody else. And so it just, yeah, you feel less than. And yet so much of being a mom is invisible.
00:17:08
Speaker
And it's unseen. I mean, I think we've talked about just that idea, like what you're saying with social media. I mean, there's just so many distractions that exist today. And like for a mom or for a parent, you know, just the temptation to get lost in the scroll, as you've had called it recently, getting lost and stuck in the scroll, seeing what's happening on Instagram or Facebook and how we can become
00:17:33
Speaker
Disengaged we might be present with our kids, but we're not emotionally or physically present with them and that can be a great distraction It's unique challenge. We didn't face no I mean Facebook was just becoming popular when I was a youth pastor and I would use it to Message kids and that was about it, you know to connect with students. And so those are those are huge Don't you think I mean just the pressure to today where where I think sometimes, you know I remember this was forever got the very first book we ever tried to get published which got rejected by the way was called I'm just a mom
00:18:03
Speaker
Remember that? It was called I'm Just a Mom and then it was like... I honestly would have forgotten about that. Five Myths Moms Believe or something like that. But obviously the title of that was that I'm just a mom with the emphasis on just, that somehow motherhood is less than everything else a woman can pursue. And I do think, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that can be a great temptation even today that we can view
00:18:27
Speaker
even the the calling of being a mom or the pursuit of being a mom less than other pursuits. Yeah. And that can be a great discouragement.
Sacred Calling of Motherhood
00:18:35
Speaker
Yeah, I think. And that's what I think when I think back to when the kids were little, there was a turning point for me when I realized that my role as a mom meant so much more than just surviving.
00:18:50
Speaker
And I came across the book The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson, who is now a mentor and a friend of mine. At that point, I did not know her. But I came across that book and it changed everything for me because I realized
00:19:07
Speaker
Like I said, there wasn't a lot out there. I didn't know what I was doing. I was just trying to raise good kids, get by, and all of a sudden it was like, uh-uh, there's way more to this. You have a purpose and a calling. You are raising kids to be a light.
00:19:23
Speaker
and to love God and love the world. And I think that changes everything when all of a sudden you realize that these are your little disciples. It's so much more than just raising a good kid or just trying to get through the day.
00:19:40
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's so good. I remember when you read that book and I think about, you know, again, we've talked about, you know, Michael and Barb Spencer and the influence their family had on ours. And I do. I remember seeing that that turning point of that transition happen, not only within you, but also just within our families. We started having conversations. And like you said, there's just so many, even within the church, there are so many Christian families who are just trying to get by. They're just trying to make it. Right. And their goal is just to raise good kids to get into a good college so that they get out of college and have a decent paying job.
00:20:09
Speaker
And what you're talking about is know that the scriptures tell us that this is an incredible calling. It's a sacred calling that as a mom and a dad, I mean, we're gonna be the first impression of who God is to our kids. And we have the opportunity of shaping their souls and discipling them and training them and teaching them, nurturing faith in them so that one day when they grow up and leave our homes, they are those arrows that Psalm 127 talks about. They're arrows of light and truth and goodness and beauty in the world.
00:20:38
Speaker
And that's a very different vision for being a parent than just trying to raise a good kid. Yeah, because we see what God can do through them. And that's like Moses, which we talk about Moses a lot in our books, but how Moses' parents saw how God could use him. Yeah, let me read Hebrews 11, because there are just some great biblical examples of moms. We've talked about
00:21:02
Speaker
in the past, 2 Timothy 1, verse 5, where Paul comments on Timothy's mom and Timothy's grandmother. Of course, Timothy was the pastor in Ephesus. He's a young pastor there. And Paul, when he's writing to Timothy in 1 and 2 Timothy, he says this, he says, I'm reminded of your sincere faith, your real faith, which first lived in your grandmother, Lois, and then in your mother, Eunice, and I'm persuaded now lives in you also.
Biblical Impact on Children's Faith
00:21:27
Speaker
And so Paul's making this point as a spiritual father to Timothy, the faith that you now possess today, of course it's by God's grace, but it first lived in your mom and then your grandmother and they shaped you and they molded you. And the man you are today has been so influenced first and foremost by God's goodness and his grace, the work of Jesus in your life, but also through your mom and through your grandmother, that they're the ones that shaped you. And then we, you know, as we're talking about, you know, Moses' mom and dad, Hebrews 11 verses 23 through 26,
00:21:57
Speaker
The writer says, by faith, Moses's parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw he was no ordinary child and they were not afraid of the king's edict. And of course, we wait time to go back to tell the story. We know that the king of Egypt had basically issued a decree that any newborn male child should be thrown into the Nile River to die. Moses's mom, instead of putting her son Moses into the river to die, puts him in there to live. She defies the king. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, he refused to
00:22:26
Speaker
be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.
00:22:43
Speaker
I mean, wouldn't you love to know? I mean, the scriptures don't tell us, but wouldn't you just love to know all the different lessons and the things that Moses' mom, his dad, what they taught him in that short amount of time that they had? I mean, they knew the day was coming where they were going to have to release him. And the scriptures say that he was hidden by them, that he was taught by them, protected by them, but eventually they had to let him go.
00:23:05
Speaker
And I just love that description of the kind of man Moses would become because of who his mom was and because of who his dad was. What I keep thinking is they wouldn't stop. They fought for him from the beginning. And that's just so incredible. As parents, if we think of our role is that we are fighting for our kids.
00:23:25
Speaker
because we know how God can use them and how he can use them. I mean, the reality is he can use one person to change generations to come and that those are our children. Well, I think, you know, oftentimes we think so much about what we're doing for success or value.
Defining Success in Motherhood
00:23:44
Speaker
And oftentimes we view success based on what we do. And a lot of times our success is based on on who we end up raising and we release into the world and how
00:23:54
Speaker
the world could be changed, a neighborhood could be changed, a school could be changed, a workplace could be changed because of a son or daughter we're raising right now, how God will use that. And so just I think the encouragement to be faithful, to persevere, to rely on God's grace, to remember God is doing a work.
00:24:09
Speaker
you know, in you and in your child and in your home and your family, whether anybody sees it or not, you know, the the unseen is not unimportant. Right. And so much of being a mom is it's the day in and day out. It's the ordinary. It's the mundane. And yet that's the sacred stuff, the holy stuff. That's how the saints were made throughout church history.
00:24:27
Speaker
And just that reminder that God is using you as a mom, as a parent, and by His grace, He's shaping a son or daughter that you're going to release into the world one day. As we kind of begin to wrap up here, let me ask you this question. I'd love for you to just kind of speak to the listeners today who are moms. But I mean, what encouragement would you give to moms who are younger? They've got younger kids in the house. I mean, what would you leave them with today?
00:24:57
Speaker
Well, honestly, I don't think this is just for mom, you know, younger moms with younger kids.
Advice for Mothers
00:25:02
Speaker
Am I still a younger mom? I think I think you are. I mean, listen, oh, can I tell everybody what happened at the pharmacy before I do this? I have to tell this. Oh, my goodness. How did I know when you told me this was at some point going to just show up?
00:25:14
Speaker
make it into a podcast episode. I was, listen, I was at the pharmacy with my two daughters, one is 16 and one is 12. And well, we did have our masks on, so that maybe had something to do with that.
00:25:31
Speaker
And I was filling something out for my oldest daughter. And the girl who was working with us, she was about 25 maybe. And she stopped me and she goes, now you're not their mom, are you? You're their sister, right? And I was like, oh no, I'm their mom. And she was like, oh my word.
00:25:50
Speaker
I thought you were in college, and I was like, yes. That was a good day. I know you've been a different person since then. So speaking of being a younger mom. By the way, nobody ever does that to me. I actually, the other day when I was at the doctor, the nurse popped in and asked me if I was over 50. Okay, honey. So the opposite happens. Anyway, this is about you. This is about Mother's Day. We're going to celebrate that.
00:26:13
Speaker
I mean, I don't necessarily want to look like I'm in college, but that was pretty amazing. Anyway, back to landing the plane. Speaking of being a younger mom, anyways, I think my advice would probably, and encouragement would be for all moms, really,
00:26:30
Speaker
Because I think even as our kids get older, every season is different. And I have, I don't know, as our kids have been teenagers, there's been plenty of times when I've felt like, oh my word, I have no idea what I'm doing. So I think the first thing I would say is you will get through this. Just keep being faithful.
00:26:53
Speaker
Galatians 6 9 says let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up and so I would say don't lose sight of the big picture here like when you're in the weeds and when things you know when you can't see clearly ahead it's easy to get discouraged and want to give up but just keep being faithful keep clinging to God there's going to be a lot of times
00:27:16
Speaker
where you don't see what God is doing and then like down the road the light bulb goes on and you're like oh my word. It's so good it reminds me that I know we've shared this before that G. K. Chesterton quote where he says you cannot tidy anything without untidying yourself and just that idea that you know that the gardener gets soil you know in his or her you know fingernails or the painter gets paint on on his or her shirt and just that idea that right now our masterpiece is not our home it's not our yard
00:27:43
Speaker
It's not our stuff, our masterpiece, by God's grace, our kids. And that's what we're working towards, is really shaping them, molding them, and just to be faithful on that to persevere. Right. So you will get through this. And then the second thing I would say is don't rush the season. And this was my temptation. And I have done the best I could over the last like five years to try to put on the brakes because all of a sudden it was like, oh my word.
Appreciating Parenting Season
00:28:09
Speaker
They're going to leave.
00:28:09
Speaker
Oh my word, my kids, they're getting like all of a sudden. And I know that's cliche it feels like because you hear it so many times. But the years really do fly by and the moments and the days do matter. They really do matter. So I would say don't rush the season you're in because before you know it, that season will be gone.
00:28:30
Speaker
Lastly, I would say that you don't have to do everything right. So as much as we say like, oh, our influence on our kids matters, and all of that, yes, of course, but I think we can put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to do everything right. And I've said from the beginning, it's only by God's grace that our children turn out at all. So we keep being faithful to Him, we keep clinging to Him, and we trust Him with our kids because He loves them
00:29:00
Speaker
way more than we ever could. Absolutely. I love that reminder because I think it's so true. It's hard to believe that God loves our kids even more than we do. And yet I think about just the different people in my life at different times, different seasons that God has used. And God's going to do the same for your kids. And so as you think about your kids, I mean, sometimes we put almost so much pressure on ourselves and we forget that God is the one who's doing this
Trusting God in Parenting
00:29:23
Speaker
work.
00:29:23
Speaker
and the work that he started in and through you and your kids' lives, he's gonna bring that to completion. And it could be five years down the road, 15 years down the road, 30 years down the road, that God is going to water some of those seeds that you're planting right now or bring somebody else into their life. And so yeah, to keep persevering, keep being faithful, rely on God's grace and trust that he is ultimately the one that has the power to save your son or daughter.
00:29:48
Speaker
I love that. Well, we just want to say Happy Mother's Day to the mom that's listening. Let me close by praying for you and just for this day that we have coming up. Lord, I pray for the mom that is listening right now.
00:30:05
Speaker
Give her courage, Lord, as she seeks to raise children who will love you and be a light to the world, Lord. Give her peace in the moments where she feels disheartened, and give her hope in your ultimate plan for her children. We love you, and we praise you, and we thank you for your good and wonderful gifts, our children. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:30:33
Speaker
Well, friend, we are so grateful that you have joined us.
Engaging with Listeners Online
00:30:37
Speaker
If we haven't met, and some of you have done this lately, and I'm so excited because I love meeting you. We want to get to know you. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at Patrick W. Schwank and at Ruth Schwank.
00:30:50
Speaker
or on Facebook. Also, don't forget, everything we talked about will be at rootlikefaith.com forward slash podcasts. Again, we welcome you into our family here at Root Like Faith. That's what we call it. It's our family. And this is kind of like our family room. So we're really excited you're here.
00:31:07
Speaker
Would you do us a big favor and leave us a review or rating and share this podcast with your friends? It just takes a second and it's a tremendous help to us as we spread the word about root-like faith. And be sure to tag us on social media when you do that. We're so grateful for your help in getting the word out. All right, friend. Well, we will chat soon and we hope you have a wonderful week.