Today’s post is a devotion I shared recently with a local MOPS Group. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed sharing it with them.

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“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

I must say (as the summer heat has hit us full swing here in the south) memories of summers when my kids were little flood my mind.  I recall day trips with a gaggle of excited kids rambling through the zoo, extending a hand to steady my kids as they climbed trees during picnics at Hopeland Gardens, and numerous sweltering afternoons spent playing at the pool.

One memory that returns to the forefront of my mind time and time again reminds me why I was in the best shape of my life when my kids were little. My daughter loved jumping in the pool, but like most littles she didn’t want to jump in without mommy standing with open arms ready to catch her and then hoist her back up onto the side of the pool.  So that’s exactly what I did. FOR. HOURS. ON. END. I stood with arms stretched out ready to catch her as she jumped squealing into the pool. After we both wiped the water from our faces I lifted her out of the water ready to repeat the same motions AGAIN and AGAIN. (I will tell you those were certainly some of the best workouts EVER.)

Looking back on those memories my heart overflows with warm fuzzies and nostalgia. But honestly, there were plenty of days I wanted to pull my hair out, throw my hands up and say “I quit!” Arguing with one child to take a nap, trying to keep the other child quiet enough so that said other child would take a nap and cleaning up crushed cheerios and spilled milk yet AGAIN nearly took me out.

How many of you know what I’m talking about and how many of you are there right now?

You are not alone

Can I share something with you? Mom’s of all stages: elementary, middle and high school kids struggle with wanting to throw their hands up and declare they quit.

Recently, I had a text conversation with a friend who feels completely and utterly overwhelmed by trying to keep up with all of her kids activities, responsibilities at home and her fulltime job. She starts her day off juggling in her mind how she’s going to successfully balance her duties as mom, wife and employee. And collapses at night frustrated and exhausted by all the things that didn’t get done.

I will tell each of you like I told her, “I see you and despite what you may think, you’re doing a fantastic job!”

You, my friends, are where you are supposed to be in this season of life. You are tending the pasture God has placed you in for this moment.

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

Luke 2:19 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. A very similar phrase is also found in Luke 2:51, “…But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.”

In Luke 2:19 Mary, the mother of Jesus, sat among the shepherds, Joseph and the livestock pondering or taking in the magnitude of all that was going on around her. Years later, when Jesus was 12 years old, Mary and Joseph found Jesus learning from the teachers in the Temple. We read in Luke 2:51 that Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” despite not understanding all that Jesus was saying or doing.

If you only take one thing away from what I’m sharing with you today I want you to remember this…

take time to sit and ponder, take in and truly experience the time you have with your children this summer.

I know you are bombarded with pressure from multiple directions – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, even other moms – to create the picture perfect summer experience for your children. While summer is the perfect time for day trips and special vacations. It is also the perfect time to experience the normal every day moments of playing in the pool, cuddling up on the couch reading a book together, sitting on the floor putting together a puzzle with one child while another is napping or simply meandering through the neighborhood collecting rocks and sticks.

It’s these moments of every day life that you will one day look back on and actually miss when your children were young.

And yes, I know that some days will have you ready to pull your hair out and declare you’re done. But in those moments take a deep breath and remind yourself of the sweet times of cuddles and exploration. Most of all, remember God has you where you are – in this specific season – for a purpose. So my friend, embrace the summer with your children and remember to take time to sit and ponder the wonderful gifts God has given you.

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My plans for the summer and how you can help me help you

While writing this devotion, I realized it won’t be long before my kids leave for college. This mama is not ready for her kids to leave the house. I still have lots of memories to build with them. In order to build memories I must be intentional with our time this summer. So that means you will see less of me here on The Calm of His Presence this summer. But I promise I will be back in August once they return to school.

While I’m taking a break this summer I will spend time praying and planning for how best to serve you through The Calm of His Presence. But I need your help! Will you please take a few minutes to fill out this survey. It will help me get to know you better and know how to serve you better.

The Calm of His Presence Survey June 2019

In His Calm,