Hey mommas, in between loads of laundry today, take a moment to read our March Heart of Womanhood blog post from my friend, Darisha Bishop. She has a house full of kiddos and a heart full of Jesus. She has her own blog named Momdry so check it out! What’s Momdry? Well, in her own words, “Momdry is a real thing. The Urban Dictionary defines it as “laundry only a mom can do.” She goes on to say, “It is a highly sought after trait bestowed upon a woman as soon as she gives birth.” Our “loads” may not look the same, but they all make us aware of our daily need for a Savior!” So, carry your laundry to the washing machine today while being encouraged to carry all your MOMDRY to our Heavenly Father! —Kim
BE AN ENCOURAGER, NOT A CRITIC
As a mom I always want to say the right things, make the right decisions and feel confident doing them. However, often, before the day gets started, I have already blown it!
They say, “We are our own worst critics.” But are we sometimes “Our children’s worst critic” too?
I have good reasons for this thought…follow along with me.
Recently, while listening to my children argue, I came to the realization that one of my children had a critical spirit. She beat down and punched out her siblings with every word she spoke. This criticism really affects the self-confidence of her siblings. It causes them to struggle in the way that they see themselves and others around them. Listening to these arguments I realized that I knew this spirit. Why do I know this spirit? As we say, in Detroit or the “D”, “Game recognize game!”
Guess what y’all? The problem was me! This same spirit often possesses me. Ouch!!! This girl is so much like me it’s scary. I am ashamed to say that I have created a “Negative Nelly.” I have learned in my many years of life that more is “caught then taught” in parenting as well as in any relationship. My daughter is watching my actions. She is watching me and taking notes.
It has been said, that in ancient times students would follow so closely behind their Rabbi that they would be covered in dust from his sandals. You could tell how close by how dirty they were. Y’all, my baby is dirty…okay! My girl follows me closely and it seems that my example has been poor. God has called me to be an encourager, not a critic.
My words have been like sand paper but I cannot refine her heart with harsh words. Yes, I must be her correction but, I must also be her biggest cheering section. She must know that I see her worth even in her faults. My speech should be gracious and attractive so that I will have the right response to her (Col. 4:6).
It’s hard to see your filth through the eyes of those you are charged to love well! As a mom I blow it daily—but God! The thing that allows me not to be grieved in this moment is knowing that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus! His grace is sufficient. He has given me eyes to see my sin and an opportunity to make it right.
She and I both have been wounded but without these wounds it would be hard for us to recognize our need for a Savior. The Lord has given me the Holy Spirit to convict me and to close my mouth…something I should do more often. There are many days that I lose this battle, although I can say I have more wins than losses because I know to whom I belong.
This load is extremely heavy and dirty. Taking this load and placing it at the Lord’s feet assures me that He will not only carry it, but He will make it clean as well. Leaving this Load with the Lord does not mean that it will be totally lifted from me and the stains removed right away. The work is done in the Lord’s timing.
Although there is still work for me to do, I must remind myself daily that I must be a change agent for Christ. I must first repent of my critical spirit and ask the Lord to change my heart so that I can be the example I want my beautiful girl to grow to be!
Before we can ever recover anything of value, the Lord is calling us to restore those things that we have broken. The “Momdry Load” that is needing my attention today is that of a critical spirit. Are you carrying that same load?
Today, let’s carry our critical spirit to our Savior and let Him wash us clean. Hebrews 3:13 calls for us to encourage one another daily! So, moms, my prayer is that as we lift our “load” to Him, the next generation will be cleaned up to be Christlike encouragers, not critics too!
For further encouragement: Heart of Womanhood Bible Studies are an incredible resource to further encourage moms and daughters to draw closer to Jesus and to one another.
