Well, this month did not go exactly as planned. Don’t get me wrong—it was one of the most incredible adventures of a lifetime!
But I had every intention of continuing our motherhood series each week, but after ten flights in twenty-five days, including speaking at a conference in Canada and then Virginia, traveling with Liberty University to see 5 of the 7 churches from the Book of Revelation in Turkey, along with side trips to Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, worship leading, and a strange health situation that eventually dissipated, life became a whirlwind.
As I finally sat down to write this newsletter, I found myself reflecting on something God has been teaching me—not just as a speaker, writer, or ministry leader, but as a mom.
Motherhood is a series of seasons.
Some seasons are sweet. Some are exhausting. Some are marked by little feet running through the house, while others are marked by grown children making decisions you can no longer control.
I find myself in the empty nest season, and y’all, I was not prepared for how much this season would hurt. I have felt lost and guilty—that I am not doing something I should be—only to realize motherhood was never about holding on, but preparing them to fly on their own.
Motherhood is hard.
But every season of motherhood presents the same temptation: to believe that if things are overwhelming or difficult, we must be doing something wrong.
But that simply isn’t true.
One of the greatest gifts God has given me over the years is the realization that motherhood is not a test to pass—it is a relationship to steward.
The goal is not perfection, but faithfulness.
All the travel this past month reminded me that I am resilient. And that God’s grace is enough for every season.
When my children were young, I worried about making mistakes. Now that my children are adults, I realize something beautiful:
God’s grace has always been bigger than my imperfections.
And perhaps that is what motherhood has taught me more than anything else.
Hope.
Not hope in my ability to get everything right.
Hope in God’s ability to redeem, guide, restore, and continue His work long after my efforts end.
As moms, we often carry burdens we were never meant to carry.
Guilt. Worry. Pressure to be enough. But God never asked us to be enough. He asked us to trust Him.
And that trust requires both a thick skin and a soft heart. Thick skin when criticism comes. Thick skin when our plans don’t unfold as expected. And thick skin when parenting exposes our weaknesses.
But God also wants a soft heart. A heart that remains teachable, tender, and dependent. A heart that refuses to become hardened by disappointment or fear.
Friend, no matter what season of motherhood you find yourself in today, there is hope.
Hope for the weary mom.
Hope for the single mom.
Hope for the mom of toddlers.
Hope for the mom of prodigals.
Hope for the mom learning how to release her grown children into God’s hands.
Because your story is not ultimately about your ability to mother perfectly.
It is about God’s ability to be faithful.
And He always is.
Scripture Reflection:
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
The harvest may not always be immediate, but God is always at work. The seeds you are planting through prayer, faithfulness, love, and perseverance are never wasted.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You are faithful in every season. When we grow weary, remind us that You are still working. Help us release the pressure to be perfect and rest instead in Your grace. Give us hope for today and confidence for tomorrow. Shape our hearts as we seek to love our children well and trust You with the results. Amen.
Visit the ShameRX Blog for When Your Child’s Struggles Feel Like Your Failure.
All for Jesus,
Denise