Metro Moms

A Mother's Desperate Prayer

When our oldest son, Caleb was about 9 months old, he was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus.  In a nutshell, this is a condition that causes there to be too much fluid in the brain.  We found this out after a routine check up.  He was completely normal - the only thing that gave it away was that he had a big head!

What a SHOCK!  This had already been a challenging year for us as we had been in a head-on collision about 6 months before this.  We had made a major move, changed jobs, etc.  I was tired.  Then I found out my baby had some condition I have never heard of AND he needed to have surgery!  What a whirlwind of emotions that brought!  I wanted life to be "normal" but for that season, God had something else in mind. 

Prayer became very important to me.  It was often the only thing that carried me through.  In the weeks leading up to his surgery, I had many sleepless nights.  There was a battle going on in my head - a battle of fear vs. truth.  The problem was that I had NO control over this situation, but I wanted control.  I found in those moments (or sometimes hours) that I could approach the Lord in prayer.  Unbelievable as it was, He cared for Caleb even more than I did.  He WAS in control of this situation.  I had to learn to trust Him.  I was not always faithful, but He was ALWAYS faithful.

The Lord graciously answered our prayers.  Through the means of doctors and surgery, God healed Caleb!  He still has a shunt in his head that must be checked yearly.  (In fact it is time to schedule this year's MRI.)  But aside from that, you would never know what he went through as a baby.  God has blessed Caleb with good health and a life that is perfectly "normal."  Isn't God good?  I am so grateful that God used this situation in my life for my good, just as He promised.  As my husband puts it, this is just another instance where God is establishing a personal history of His faithfulness to me. 

God DOES answer prayers - that is so amazing to me.  I hope it encourages you in whatever trials you are facing.

Posted by Stephanie

Tips For Praying In The Morning

I wanted to share with you just a few practical suggestions that have helped me recently as I endeavor to pray in the mornings.  When I wake up early I have a very hard time concentrating and not falling back asleep. To help me not nod off every few minutes I started actually writing out my prayers in my journal.  I have a small three subject notebook so I can also keep my notes from Sundays and other musings close by.  I also keep a pad of sticky notes right next to me so that I can jot down things that come up while I am praying so that I am not distracted. 

This has really helped me stay focused and record my prayers so I can look back at God's faithfulness in my life and others around me.  It also helps me remember how I specifically prayed for my husband that day to share with him.  I have loved starting my day that way ~ casting my burdens at the Lord's feet, asking him what his priorities would be for me that day.  Oh, and one more thing, I have all my things that I will need for my prayer time in one place (a basket) so I am not wasting one moment looking for my pen or my journal or my Bible.  So if you are like me and are dozing after five minutes and the next thing you know someone is asking for breakfast ~ this may help!!!

Posted by Taraleigh

Desperate Prayer

I will never forget the day as long as I live.  My pre-teen looked at me with tears exclaiming, "You're trying too hard to control me, and I hate it!"

My anger dissapated to despair as I turned to escape into my bedroom.  For the first time in my mothering years I didn't know what to do.  Was I losing my child to the world that I had tried so hard to protect him or her from?  I was desperate for God to help me as only He could.  I laid on my tear-stained pillow for what seemed like hours asking God to forgive me for the way I had tried to manipulate and control.  I asked, I pleaded for Him to intervene and to help me.  My husband wasn't home, so I had to walk through this dark, lonely valley alone, but was I really alone?  As I was crying out to God, I wasn't sure if He was really listening.  After all, my guilty conscience chided, I was only getting back what I deserved. 

Exhausted I came out of my room a broken mother with only a whisper of a prayer.  Little did I know that God had captured every one of my tears in His loving hands, and He had already sent help on the way. For soon after Benny and Sheree Phillips arrived from Virginia for a parenting seminar on Parenting Teens.  The theme was "Faith" and God used this seminar to reveal an idol of control in my heart.  It was then, that God changed my heart, and began to teach me how to be a Mom of Faith instead of a Mom of Control.

Here's an excerpt from my journal in 1996:

The Lord revealed to me what has been in my heart since I became a mother.  It was that I've had a spirit of control over my kids.  I began crying and repenting to the Lord.  I asked Him to take away the control and give me faith.  The weeping began from deep within.  How I have grieved the Holy Spirit.  This is the root of what comes out of my mouth as harshness.  The Lord has put me in a situation where I can't be in control of everything.  I have to  trust God and have faith that He will complete the good work He's begun in them.  I told Tom that I don't know how to be a Mom of Faith. I have always been a Mom of Control.  I have believed that as a home-school mom I wouldn't have a difficult time in the teen years because they weren't around the world as much.  How wrong I was, for they are sinners in need of a Savior.  God is my hope and the One I must trust, not any method.  If the method worked I wouldn't need God.  Father, thank You for Your correction in my life.  Teach me how to be a Mom of Faith!

Posted by Debi (who IS a woman of faith...thank you for your faith for us and our children!)

Choosing to Love

This week we will take a look at prayer in the life of a mom.  How have we seen God answer the cries of our hearts for our children?  Why is prayer a critical aspect of godly motherhood?  We hope our journeys comfort and encourage you...and that we will all experience fresh committment and faith to pray for our children.

When my oldest son was between the ages of 2 and 3, I went through a very challenging season with him.  I had grown bitter and resentful in my heart toward him for his repeated acts of disobedience, his disrespect, and his lack of appreciation for the love I had for him.  I am ashamed to say that the very child I had prayed for, I now had contempt toward.  I had allowed my sinful desire for his perfect obedience, his respect, and his appreciation for all that I was doing for him to poison my heart.  It was through the loving observations of those closest to me regarding these sins, and through many, many prayers that God did a work in my heart toward my son. 

First, I asked God to forgive me for the bitterness and resentment in my heart toward my son.  Second, I began to pray earnestly that God would change my heart toward my son, even if he never changed.  I prayed often, and many others prayed for me.  It was a heart-wrenching season, but God helped me to change. 

He showed me a picture one day during my prayer time of how those He came to save, including me, had mocked, hit, and spit on him, but His response was to love and forgive, not be bitter and resentful.  He had lavished love on those who were completely unworthy.  Could I receive such amazing love in return for my hatred and not do the same for my own son?

This was the turning point for me in my relationship with my son.  God had reminded me of how unworthy I was to have received His love and enabled me to love my son.  Choosing to love my son is possible because of the Savior's love for me.  To His glory, my affection for my son has only increased these last ten years, and I am hopeful that it will continue because of God's faithfulness to conform me into the image of His Son.

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

Posted by Michelle