For the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of having two extra children in my home. Yes, that would make 7 children for more than just a few hours. In fact, it was more in a lot of ways. More clothes to wash and fold, more food to prepare, more shoes to trip over, more hugs of comfort to give and more little people needing my attention. It also meant more arguing to manage, more messes to be made and cleaned up, more people to bathe, and a little someone that often needed comfort in the middle of the night. To say I was weary by about 2 weeks in, would be an understatement.
But it was during these moments that I remembered two things. One, my girlfriend was in China picking up her son and while I was in Russia last year picking up my daughter, she was the one who did this exact thing for me. She cared for my 4 children while I was away. She even cleaned up their puke in the middle of the night when they got sick. So it was time for me to pull up my bootstraps, consider this a ministry and to do what needed to be done.
But secondly and most importantly, what came to my mind was the foundational truth of a simple children’s devotional I “just happened” to do with my children during this time.
John 15:1-6 starts off by saying, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” and then a bit further down He goes on to say, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
How many times have I heard that passage of scripture? I could’ve skimmed over it and thought “yadda yadda yadda” since I’ve heard it more than I can count, but instead God used it to remind me of where my strength to do this daunting task would come from because apart from Him I can do NOTHING. The only way I was going be anywhere near enough of a Mommy to 7 children, I was going to need to stay connected to the Vine or I was gonna wither. Yep, wither I would. I know that withering feeling all too well from the times when I have thought that life as an independent branch was a much better way to go. Take it from my life experience and straight from the Word of God–apart from Him you can do nothing.
So when you feel weary, or irriated or overwhelmed, take a look around at your life and check that your branch is still connected to the Vine. He is the only true source of strength in this season called Motherhood.
