Moms Crave Quiet

When my children were very young, there were two commodities I was in constant need of: “quiet” and “time,” that is for daggum sure!

It seemed there were not enough hours in the day for me . . . and let’s face it, many days “me” was at the top of my list.

As I now contemplate my need “back in the day” for what is commonly referred to as “me time”—that quiet and time I so longed for—I find divine irony in the truth that what I actually needed was a quiet time.

I used to have this picture in my head of what a quiet time was supposed to look like: long, uninterrupted time alone to read the Bible, meditate on God’s word, journal, pray and listen.

Enter real life, more specifically real momlife, and very rapidly that perceived “quiet time” bubble was promptly busted, and I somehow felt if I couldn’t have a quiet time the right way, I shouldn’t do it at all. I surmised that maybe quiet times would come later in life.

Humm, wonder who put that crazy idea in my overwhelmed head?

The enemy of our hearts, the great deceiver, had me right where he wanted me: separated from God because I didn’t think I should have a quiet time if I couldn’t do it right!

Thankfully an older wiser woman shared with me that there was no “right” but that I simply needed to do something that would connect me with God each day. She explained my connecting did not even have to be the same thing each day—it could change!

I appreciated her advice, and I quickly embraced it! That was many years ago, and since then I have learned in different seasons, varying methods of quiet times can and must be utilized!

Through the years I have done group Bible studies that provided childcare, meet-ups at friends’ homes with play time for the kids while we shared, listened to sermons during chores, listened to audio books, listened to the Bible on audio, written verses on index cards, prayed while doing laundry, prayed during long walks (even with kids in tow), and I have listened to lots and lots of praise music!

The point is, daily time with the Lord and thinking about Him, His goodness, and His tenants has always been a part of my day—and subsequently my children’s days.

The benefit? I pretty much am in constant daily conversation with God, and I have also managed to memorize scripture through the years because it has been before me so much.

An extreme benefit of this constant connection is that God is always on the tip of my thoughts, and as a result . . . He fills me with joy!

Oh yeah, He does!

My kids are now all grown up, so the thirty + minutes I used to dream about spending daily with God are now a reality.

But here is some great news for you mom of young ones…I am truly grateful that the inability to have that long constant uninterrupted time with God when my kids were little taught me to make Him a part of my every moment, every day life.

And here is the amazing bonus of living a life with Jesus constantly on your heart and mind – we all know…kid see, kid do – and I am seeing that come to fruition in my own kids!

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6

Welcome to Be the Mom! I’m so excited you’re here. Be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the day! Need some daily fun MOMent ideas?  Sign up to get one a day in your inbox!