Mama Bear

Ladies, it is almost always certain that no matter where we live, what language we speak, what color our skin is, whether we are rich or poor, whether we are city dwellers or country folk, whether we are outspoken or shy, etc., etc., if we are also mothers, then somewhere within all of us is a mama bear. We have been given the divine privilege of bearing our precious littles and more times than not we are also their primary caregivers. I understand fully that there are plenty of phenomenal dads out there who do a fantastic job of the caregiving as well, but this happens to be a Mother’s Day post so I am narrowing my audience a bit. Mamas, this is a message directly to you who are worn smack out. Just tired. Why? Because you fight every single minute of every single day for the good of your little people. I know we don’t live in a war-torn country here and I don’t mean that sort of fighting (although we would do it if it came to it). I just mean you are engaged in a constant battle of details, schedules, homework, breast-feeding, pumping, bottle feeding, napping, housework, grocery shopping, play time, breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks, car pool lines, bath times, throw up cleaning, party planning, school play attending, booty wiping and basic hygiene teaching. And that’s like a drop in the bucket. Do you know why we do all of this and so, so, soooo much more? Because ain’t nobody else doing it if we don’t. So we fight on day after day, but here’s the greater point of this post that I want every last one of you to understand. Even as we find ourselves exhausted and battle worn from the good fight that we are privileged to be a part of on behalf of our children, we have to stop and give HUGE thanks to our God because right this minute He is currently fighting for US too! Yes ma’am. I am talking to you weary mom. Just as you are about to jump in your car for the tenth time today to take someone somewhere, pick up another one and then find time to fix a meal and feed everyone, rest assured you are not doing this all by yourself. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) The Lord will personally go ahead of you, He will be with you and He will never fail or abandon you! Kinda sounds like a mama bear to me.

Battle is a very common theme throughout the bible, specifically in the Old Testament, so there are lots of verses that talk about the Lord fighting for His people. And while I know that the traditional Mother’s Day themes are soft and gooey and flowery, I am feeling passionate right now about sharing the ways that God fights for us. Definitely a less sugary image, but none the less sweet. I am feeling the need to tell all my fellow mamas out there that we must roll up our sleeves and get ready because our babies need us strong. They need us armed with truth. They need us wearing the full armor of God, not the latest trendy fashion (no, this is not a post against name brands). They need us out there kicking the schedule’s butt all the while keeping our eyes firmly planted on our Savior. They need to know that their Jesus is fighting for them all day, but mamas… you must know and BELIEVE He fights for you too! In Matthew 23, Jesus describes in His own words His sadness at having His desire to gather His people together under His protection rejected. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” (Matthew 23:37) Even Jesus used the imagery of a mother and her babies to paint the picture of His desire to know and protect us! If He can recognize the fierceness of love between chickens then how much more fierce is the love between a human mother and her baby? And to top it all off, how much more INFINITELY fierce is the Fathers’s love for us? It knows no bounds. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) Mamas, do you believe that today? Do you believe that the Lord’s desire is to gather you in under His loving protection like a hen gathers her chicks? Step out of your protector role for just a second and allow yourself to be protected. Just for a few minutes let go of your fighter instinct and rest in the knowledge that the Lord is also fighting for you! “One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as He promised you.” (Joshua 23:10) Give me some more of that! All day long.

Where are you drawing your strength ladies? Our husbands can and certainly do offer loads of moral support that keeps us going many days. But our husbands, just like us, are only human. Yes, God wants our marriages strong and healthy and He wants us mutually helping each other daily to become the man and the woman who God designed for us to be. But this relationship, as special as God designed for it to be, can not be the only source of our strength because that is a one way ticket to disappointment. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Yes, be an excellent wife. Yes, be an excellent mother. Yes, take excellent care of those God has entrusted to you in life. But not at the expense of your excellency in service to Him first. The whole point of this post is for all of us moms to learn to rest in God’s promises that He is fighting for us even as we fight for them, but how are we to do that if we don’t truly know what God’s word even says? I know I quote a lot of scripture in my Blog posts, but that doesn’t scratch the surface of the things God wants you to know about Himself. Tired and worn out mamas, for every verse I can share like “But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 20:11), there are hundreds more that were written for you and for me! Still need convincing that God is fighting for you? How about “Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” (Psalm 56:9) or “He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17) Just in these two verses alone we see that God is FOR us and that there may be times when God will literally take out an entire army for us without our ever having to lift a finger. Oh mamas, I will say it again, the best way you can ever… EVER… love on those babies is to allow God to love on you first! Give Him your best, not the left overs. Start the day with Him, don’t pencil Him in between soccer and gymnastics. It just won’t work that way. Go to your Heavenly Father through bible reading and prayer right out of the gate and allow Him to fight for you like He so desperately desires to. Then you will be girded up and ready to get out into the big bad world and do what you do best. Okay I can’t help myself, here’s one more… “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Mama bears, go and get yourself some much needed rest in the Lord this weekend. Just be still if you can possibly stand it and think… really think… about the truth that even as you fight the good fight daily for your family, God fights for you! Let that sink way down into your heart. Yeah, okay, you totally blew it today and went medieval on your kids. You started the day with June Cleaver aspirations and ended with Rosanne Barr realities. Do you think God stops fighting for you even at your worst? No, sister. Not even then. Apologize to those who need to hear it and then jump back in the ring because they need you! “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17) Ultimately I pray that these truths will become the place where you draw your biggest battle worthy strength. I pray that even on the hardest days you will turn your eyes upward and let HIM be the one that replenishes you so you can re-engage again the next day. You are the only one God chose to be the mama of your precious babes so get back out there, but before you do, go to the only refueling station that promises “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:6-7)