God in Motherhood

I have learned so many lessons from being a mother. Even in pregnancy, God was teaching me about Himself and how He wants to know me and how He wants me to know Him. Just like in nearly everything in life, He is reflected in the things He has created!

I've been getting to keep my beautiful great-niece these past few weeks and again, He reminds me. Today I was feeding her and as I got her bottle ready she searched my bare arm for the latch she desired. Her eyes closed, her sweet little mouth moved back and forth looking, seeking. And I remembered nursing my own babies. The way their little mouths searched. The way they acted like they'd not eaten in days at every feeding. And I remembered the deep joy and satisfaction of giving them what they sought. They'd look up at me with such love and gratitude. This is the way of His love. He even says in Isaiah 49 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you." He sees our desire for Him. He watches us search, longing, looking for the only thing that will satisfy us. And His heart overflows with love when He fills us with His Spirit and His grace.

We, however, have to have a need before He can fill it. But we go around like we don't need Him. Or we get it from other sources. Like, for my sweet great-niece, I gave her a bottle of her mother's milk when she was hungry. This was satisfying to her, she was filled. It was nutritious. But it wasn't the source. That little meal held her over until she could get what she needed from the source, her mother. We get truth from other sources, pastors, pod casts, songs and even friends and family. They share God's truth with us and we're filled and we can grow. But how much more beautiful and satisfying is receiving truth straight from our Source. We so often use our daily times (which may or may not happen daily) with Jesus as what "gets us through" until we can get back to church or until our favorite speaker posts his/her next pod cast. How backward is that? Would a nursing baby prefer a bottle from a stranger rather than her mother? He takes such joy in giving us the things we need! Just as the mother gets joy from giving her baby what she needs and how she jealously guards her time with her baby, He is overjoyed to supply us what we need and He is jealous of our time and attention. Oh the sweetness of His love for us. Let Him wash it over you!