I stepped over a crumpled piece of paper on the basement stairs a few times over a few days. I always had my hands full--with laundry or toys or baby--so I didn't get a chance to pick it up.
When I finally did, it was on a rough day of mothering. When patience and perseverance seemed lost and I was texting my husband "I can'd do this." (He's such a good support when I'm over-dramatic.) And I finally got the hands-free chance to pick up this crumpled piece of trash off the basement step.
On it, Jesus is very clearly written on one side in handwriting I don't recognize. And the other is a cut piece of reused paper that reads a chopped up note of: "they are little diamonds that shine... He is doing a great work in them with your guidance... You just keep on hugging them... Showing them your faith and courage... Way to go parents."
Tears sting my eyes at these words I desperately needed to hear. Turns out that crumpled piece of trash was actually a much needed Jesus-note.
It was my turn to do our mom's group devotional the next day, and I shared that Jesus-note. How He doesn't change the circumstances, but He sends an emotional and spiritual boost that changes everything. And I filled in the gaps of those encouraging words and printed the cards shown above for the moms to take home.
Words that had been written by my daughter's teacher in one of her previous letters home to us parents. I'm sure I had read it before. But it was all brand new as I read it that day, burdened there on our wood basement steps. A sweet gift of re-purposed paper carefully inscribed with the name of Jesus, stuck to the shirt of my daughter's friend, and
Over and over God shows me that out of dark days shines His light. And out of my weakness brings His power. It happens, for me, especially in motherhood.
One of my favorite Christian writers, Jen Hatmaker, was on the Today show that next day talking about parenting. She mentioned something along the lines of mothering young kids is like 5 minutes under water. I get that. These 5 minutes sure have been hard and I'm not always sure when or if we'll get above water. I know when those 5 minutes are over, I'll wonder where they went. I may even remember it like some sunny day at the beach.
Until then, I'm so thankful for God's good to shower miracles over the hard.
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