"But isn’t this how God looks at us?"
Help me to see the joys and trust of releasing control in motherhood
This week on Mothering Spirit
As Lauren Nizol navigates a new season of parenting a teenager, she is reminded of God’s unconditional love for us:
“But isn’t this how God looks at us—separating us from the behavior and loving us through it? Watching and loving us in those hard moments of parenting where we resent our child for their midnight cries and big feelings? Watching and loving us when we explode on the child who has changed our course of plans for the day and challenged us beyond belief?
Part of being totally, unconditionally beloved by God means that he totally, unconditionally loves us in these moments where we lose control of our reason in a moment of frustration—for example, when we are transitioning to new stages of life and parenthood. In these transitions, we lose a sense of control that we thought we had and knew, but actually don’t.
But to lose control and let go is what God desires.”
Read the rest here: Letting Go of My Own Way.
Resources for the teenage years
Sometimes parenting teenagers feels likes you’re back in the early days of motherhood, uncertain about every little thing. If you’re finding yourself longing for more resources, we’ve got you.
In A Prayer for Raising Teenagers and Launching Young Adults, Karianna Frey gives us a gentle prayer as we learn to let go.
Colleen Connell Mitchell writes about the challenges of remaining steadfast while juggling life as a single mom.
In The Greatest Gifts We Can Give Our Teens, Kathryn Whitaker writes about faith formation, reminding us to prioritize the journey over results.
Prayers for a Traumatic Birth
We received so many beautiful prayers from mothers who have experienced a traumatic birth that we wanted to share a few more. We hope you’ll share them with a friend who has also gone through a difficult birth.
Mary Beth Keenan’s prayer For the Mother That Needs to be Held as She Holds Her Baby petitions God, as Divine Midwife, for peace:
“O Midwife, grant me restored peace in surrender:
Help me to see the joys and trust of releasing control in motherhood,
not the pain of having it taken away from me.
Also allow me to feel my own intuition and power.
Grant me the ability to advocate for myself and find care providers that
are healthy and empowering; walking with me on my winding path of healing and recovery.”
Read the rest here: For the Mother That Needs to be Held as She Holds Her Baby
In Holy Deliverer: A Prayer for a Traumatic Birth, Brynn Lampert cries out for divine embrace in the midst of difficulty:
“Gentle Father,
When labor brings me physical and mental anguish and I doubt your goodness,
Hold me.
Loving Lord,
When my body and mind hold the scars of my child’s birth,
Comfort me.”
Read the rest here: Holy Deliverer: A Prayer for a Traumatic Birth.
Prayers for Holy Week
graciously let us share prayers that she wrote for this week. Her powerful words feel especially poignant for this time of waiting and grieving right before Easter. Be sure to read the rest of her prayers, too. (And if Holy Week is new for you, learn more here.)“God who sees, we pray for all unseen grief, for silent loss and quiet, fragile hope.
We know that what we have grieved in private
You have borne witness to in fullness.
Comfort us in our yearning, our weeping, and our resignation.
God, in Your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Grieving Mother, comfort us as we grieve the loss of children who never were born.
Comfort us for the children born sleeping already in Your tender arms.
Comfort us as we grieve the children we longed to have, but never came to be.
Comfort us in infertility, in unspoken hopes, and in tender dreams.
We know the children we mourn are not lost to You;
and to each of us, bring healing and grace.
God, in Your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Giver of Joy: we sometimes struggle to permit our own needs,
our own wants, and our own desire.
We need grace for feelings of joy in the midst of loss,
for feelings of anger and jealousy in the midst of joy,
for feelings of lament in the midst of questions.
We need grace for when we feel nothing at all.
Give us the grace we know is there for us,
and remind us that even Your mother suffered and loved,
grieved and envied, and she can walk alongside us in these times.
God, in Your mercy: Hear our prayer.”
From our sponsors
This week’s writing is sponsored by Ritual, a wellbeing app with daily lectio divina prayer, poetry, gratitude practices, and more. Ritual offers audio experiences from compassionate leaders in faith, self-care, and culture (including Fr. Greg Boyle, as mentioned in this week’s essay) to strengthen your wellbeing and nourish your spirit. Try out Ritual’s practices for free!
Want to write for us?
We’ve loved publishing readers’ prayers on themes related to each week’s essay. Want to put your words into prayer? Here are topics we’re looking for:
Parenting young adults - due 4/4
Navigating doubts in raising kids in faith - due 4/11
Parenting kids with disabilities - due 4/15
Tending your own interests (art, activism, gardening, music, fitness, etc.) while parenting - due 4/18
Original prayers are accepted (previously published on your social media, blog, or other personal site are fine). We’ll give you full credit and copyright, and tag you on our social media when we publish. You can respond here with your prayer(s) or email them to newsletter@motheringspirit.com.
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