You revive me, you revive me Lord;
You Revive Me by Christy Nockels
And all my deserts are rivers of joy.
You are the treasure, I could not afford.
So I’ll spend myself till’ I’m empty and poor
All for you, you revive me Lord.
Lord I have seen your goodness,
And I know the way you are;
Give me eyes to see you in the dark.
Do you ever get a song so stuck in your head that you end up humming it unconsciously? This song has been stuck in my head for MONTHS. It’s no surprise that this song has been on repeat in my head with how the last few months have looked.
Motherhood is filled with both mundane and magical moments – although the mundane stuff sometimes makes it hard to see the magical. A few weeks ago, I had an afternoon to myself and I picked up a coffee and went for a walk. As I walked, God and I were talking and I asked Him to show me His goodness. You see, I’d been having a hard time seeing it. He began to fill my mind with images of our oldest daughter going around calling even the simplest things like finding a bright red leaf on the ground “amazing”. His goodness is all around us, even when it’s hard to see.
I know that for many of us, this has been a really hard year. And for many others, “hard” is an understatement. This year, I went from an occasional coffee drinker to a cup a day to 1-3 cups a day. Maybe that’s just what life with two kids looks like. Too often I have found myself wobbling on the thin line between doing great and burning out. Even as I write this post, this song is playing in the background: O Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship. If you’ve never heard it, the premise is to leave behind all your fears, regrets, and mistakes and find forgiveness and healing at the altar where Jesus laid down His life for you.
My quiet time with the Lord looks so different with each season. Last year, I enjoyed waking up 1-2 hours before anyone else in the house and meeting with Jesus in the stillness of the morning. Until I went on maternity leave, Esther and I would drive to work with Matt (even though it meant leaving the house 2+ hours earlier than my shift). After dropping Esther off at daycare, I would get about an hour to an hour and a half of quiet with the Lord. But over these last four months, my “quiet” time with the Lord hasn’t been so quiet. It usually involves putting on some worship music while we all play in Esther’s room.
Without that intentional time in the morning, I have found myself going several days without picking up my Bible or having an actual conversation with God. The danger with this is that I quickly reach the end of myself and I become impatient and frustrated. I need Jesus every day. And not just every day but every moment of every day. Here are two passages of Scripture to highlight why we need to walk in the presence of God constantly:
- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)
- Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
I don’t have all the answers but I do know this: as parents, we need to be vigilant and watch how we react to things. Maybe you’re having the kind of day where you’ve had to call on God 100 different times for patience or grace. Guess what? He is the well that never will run dry. When we call on Him, He is there. Only He can provide the kind of patience, grace, love, and joy that we need to get through the day. And not just get through it and try to survive until bedtime, but to really thrive as a family and enjoy spending time together.
My soul oh Lord is thirsty,
Only you can satisfy;
You’re the well that never will run dry.
To all my mama friends: being a mom is hard enough without having to deal with a pandemic and all that we have to be mindful of now. I pray that you are able to find time in your day to call on the Lord and allow Him to revive your spirit and satisfy your every need in this season. Even though we can’t get together in person, know that you can always connect with me over social media. Praying God would refresh you this week and that you would look to Him to guide you and your family as we head into a new year.
xo Faith