Pic from: http://www.crpn.net/Guide%20for%20Moms%20Cover%20Art.gif
The other day I was thinking about the moms all around me. It seems that each one is carrying a huge load. Whether it is homeschooling, dealing with grown children who are not walking with the Lord, raising their grandkids, dealing with tiny kids all day and all night, being very pregnant, or raising teens, almost every mom I know is often tired and could use a pick-me-up.
God caused me to think about what I could do for these moms. Encouragement is a spiritual gift God has given me and thus, I would like to do something to bless some of these moms in my life.
Here are some possibilities for things I might do:
Make a meal
Sew a fun apron
Bag of groceries or Walgreens freebies
Send a pizza gift card
Send a card with encouraging verses
Drop off a spa basket with bath goodies
A box of chocolates
A babysitting coupon
Cooking up a bunch of hamburger and beans for a Mama going through severe morning sickness
Sometimes the needs are hidden and sometimes a mom isn't going through a visible trial but is just exhausted and tired of feeling like a slave to her family and taken for granted. There are also moms all around me who are visibly hurting. Right now, I know people dealing with loss/miscarriage, dealing with pregnancy nausea, feeling overwhelmed, suffering from postpartum depression, trying to supplement the income with part-time work or working full-time outside the home and doing all the household chores too, trying to get by on one income when hubby's work has been slow, dealing with unemployment, dealing with marriage problems, dealing with sickness, feeling overwhelmed, and feeling disconnected from other women.
I've often looked for ways to bless other moms and friends but right now there is so much I want to do since there are SO MANY in need. I will be praying that God would really lay on my heart the one(s) who needs my encouragement this week, this day, this hour, etc.
Mothering is tough. Often, I feel totally overwhelmed and incapable of the incredible task it is to rear children. I want reach out to the moms around me with the gifts God has given me! I've found that giving to others gives me a boost as well! When I am having a hard time as a mom, I find that reaching out to help those who are in even harder circumstances really energizes me and blesses us both!
What ideas do you have for blessing your fellow mom friends?
I appreciate your heart for your fellow moms, Lindsey. And I'm glad you are asking God for His wisdom on whom to encourage, as you can't do it all. That's the good thing--God will bring encouragement to these moms. For some He'll use you, and for others He will use other people or methods (maybe a scripture, sermon, etc.).
ReplyDeleteIt's a very difficult thing to go through trials, and when we do so we rely on the support of our family and friends. There's something good about trials, too, though--and that is, they can build character in us if we let them. As I look back, I can see just how much I've learned during the "hard times." During one of the absolute hardest times, God taught me so much that my life and our marriage are very much different because of it.
I'll join you in praying for the moms who are beat-up, burnt out, and simply worn out. May God breathe His strength into them!
babysitting! If I know one of my friends has something pressing to do or needs a break I'll call and then pick up her kid on my way to the playground with mine! If you offer babysitting, most moms won't take you up on it because they know you're busy too - so make it impossible for them to say no. An hour of solitude can do wonders
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about doing this very same thing this week!! I am going to make some scripture cards on 4x6 index cards and put some stickers on them, outline the edges with markers and send them. It is so easy to do on the computer, but it would be nice to get something in the mail besides bills or official stuff. I also like the idea of mixing up a batch of cookie dough and freezing it in a tube shape and wrapping it. This way they could slice and bake homemade cookies.
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