Caly Comes Home and Mom’s Advice

To Janelle’s great relief, she and Caly were discharged from the hospital this afternoon. They were delayed an extra hour and a half to test Caly for jaundice (she was looking a tad yellow) but thankfully, it wasn’t serious enough to keep her. So Mike and Janelle brought their little girl home.

As Janelle begins to care for Caly, she will no doubt receive much wise counsel from Mom. She’ll learn how to swaddle Caly (a trick I never got the hang of), what to do when she won’t stop crying, and invaluable tips for putting the little girlie on a schedule. There’s no underestimating the difference practical help from an older woman can make when it comes to caring for a new baby.

But I already know the most helpful piece of mothering advice that Mom will give her. It’s the same advice she gave to Kristin and me. It’s simple enough for even a new mom’s sleep-deprived brain to comprehend. But oddly enough, it’s something I often forget. It’s two words: TRUST GOD.

In an article currently running on Crosswalk.com, Mom elaborates on this bit of mothering wisdom she has sought to teach her daughters:

Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Did you catch that? Here it is again: Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Success as a mother doesn’t begin with hard work or sound principles or consistent discipline (as necessary as these are). It begins with God: His character, His faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty. And as our understanding of these truths increases, so will our faith for mothering. You see, it is relatively easy to implement new practices in parenting. But if our practices (no matter how useful) aren’t motivated by faith, they will be fruitless.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God as a mother. We can diligently apply every tip from every book and still not be effective mothers. More than likely we’ll be frazzled and anxious! Instead, must begin by looking to God—meditating on His character and relying on His promises. Only then will we find all the strength, wisdom, and peace we need to glorify God in our mothering.