It had been a really terrible, awful, hard day. So hard that I sat and cried. And yet, it brought me to the end of myself. And that was a good thing.
When I finished crying, I sat down to do some work and happened upon a story about Andrew Carnegie that completely changed my perspective as a mom and as a child of God.
Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in America in the early 1900s, so wealthy that he employed over 42 millionaires. When asked how he developed these men to become so valuable that he would pay them that much money, Carnegie explained that “men are developed the same way gold is mined. When gold is mined, several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold, but one doesn’t go into the mine looking for dirt — one goes in looking for gold.”
I’d been buried in the dirt that day. I was lost in the monotony of motherhood and felt like my days had no meaning. My discouragement and feelings of failure as a mom left me so disappointed in myself. And I was convinced God felt the same way about me.
I started wishing I had a gold-miner in my life who could see beyond my mistakes and find the gold in me. That’s when God whispered to my heart, “Renee, I am that gold-miner. You are the one who is so critical of yourself. You are the one who focuses on your faults. But I see the gold of My image in your heart, and I want to bring it to the surface so your kids can see Me in you.”
As I sat there trying to process what God was whispering to my heart, stories from the Bible started flooding my thoughts helping me believe that God really does see beyond who I am to who I can become.
That day God used His thoughts to give me a new perspective – of Himself and of myself. Then He challenged me to look for ways to transfer that perspective to my children.
It’s easy to get buried in the dirt of discontentment, disobedience and discouragement. You may even be thinking, Where’s the gold in it all? I wondered, too. But after reading Carnegie’s story and hearing God speak to my heart, I wanted to become a gold-mining mom.
As I thought about the gold I wanted to see in my children, character traits of Christ such as patience, kindness and contentment came to mind. I decided to make a list of golden attitudes and actions and look up Bible verses we could learn together. Then I made gold nuggets by balling up foil and spray-painting them gold.
In the following weeks, each time my kids showed a golden attitude or action, I’d reward them. When they saved up enough nuggets, they’d get a special treat. We also found new character traits and Bible verses, wrote down ideas to live them out and started making them part of our family devotions.
It took time for me to embrace a grace-based parenting perspective and let God’s new truths sink in. But I was so excited about having a spiritual focus as a mom. I started getting creative and about finding time in the midst of my busy days to get into His Word and get His word into me. And as I did, He used His thoughts to re-shape mine.
God’s Word became a part of our everyday lives as He taught me to take my eyes off of my children’s habits and focus on their hearts. Not only did it change my kids’ attitudes and actions, it changed me, too. For the first time in months, I was excited about my role as a parent. God had given me a new perspective, and a whole new sense of purpose as a mom!
Lord, thank You for not focusing on the dirt in my life but seeing beyond who I am to who I can become. Help me believe that, receive that and give it away to my kids, my husband and my friends. Help me look at their hearts and encourage the glimpses of You that I see in them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Portions of this post are in my book, A Confident Heart.
Copyright 2011. Baker Publishing. All rights reserved.
Purpose-Driven Mom Gift Pack:
Enter to win my Purpose-Driven mom message on CD and my “Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child Character Chart and The Mom I Want to Be by Suzie Eller. To enter, click “share your thoughts” below and share why you’d like win.
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Boy can I relate to your devotional today. There have been many times I wanted to "quit" being a mom. I have never heard of the GoBible but I think the original would be great. I have a dear friend at church named Jacqui (who just had her 3rd child) and has suffered from post-pardom depression after the last 2 kids. I pray she does better after this one. I would love to share this with her. Thanks for the encouragement and to know that other moms go through these times also. Praise God for our Godly mothers!!
Thank you so much for today's devotional. I have two girls-8 and 6 years old. I've "quit" several times in the last few years, only to recind my resigniation after about 30 seconds! 🙂
I would love to win the GoBible Voyager. It seems so easy to use! I'd love to be able to share the second one with a dear friend from church who has a very active 3 year old.
Thanks again for your encouraging words! 🙂
Great devotion for moms! Thank you for sharing!GoBible Voyager and my email is [email protected]
Thank you so much for your devotion today: I have been in a hard place lately with where God has me as a mom, and this has given me some newfound inspiration and something different to focus on with them. It was perfect (God's) timing. I would love any of the Go-Bibles, but if could choose it would be the Voyager because of all the great options. The second set I would give to my good friend who has 4 children ages 6 and under, who is dealing wiht some really tough things right now in her marriage and with her mom who was just diagnosed with lung cancer. I think this would be a great encouragement to her.
[email protected]
Hi Renee I needed to hear this so much. My husband and I have recently started a new work – he is an MK and we've had a lot of experience working overseas. We have felt God leading us into supporting Christian mercy work overseas in order to further God's Kingdom. It has been a crazy few weeks and I've been "single parenting" while he has been immersed registering our new non=profit etc. Now he is in S India for 3 weeks and I am truly doing it on my own with 3 kids. Thank you for your honesty – it helped me today. I would love to receive the voyager and would give the other to a dear friend working close to the area where ObL was discovered on Sunday. Blessings Kate
Hi Renee I needed to hear this so much. My husband and I have recently started a new work – he is an MK and we've had a lot of experience working overseas. We have felt God leading us into supporting Christian mercy work overseas in order to further God's Kingdom. It has been a crazy few weeks and I've been "single parenting" while he has been immersed registering our new non=profit etc. Now he is in S India for 3 weeks and I am truly doing it on my own with 3 kids. Thank you for your honesty – it helped me today. I would love to receive the voyager and would give the other to a dear friend working close to the area where ObL was discovered on Sunday. Blessings Kate
God know when we need encouragement! I would choose the goBible Original probably and would share the other either with the new mom at my church or with my far away best friend (mother to 4)…tough decision. I could always give them both away!
Renee,
As mamas we all struggle with the image of perfection. Without God, we will always fall short. Thank you for sharing your personal experience. We mamas really lift each other up when we speak our truth – authentically, dust bunnies, muffin tops, temper tantrums and all.
I would enjoy any of the GoBibles. I love surprises! I would share one with a dear coworker who could use some encouragement as a newly divorced mother of three. She could use a little reminder that God hasn't forgotten her.
God Bless,
Alison
[email protected]
What a comfort to know that I'm not the only one with "I wanna quit!!!" feelings at times. Thank you for the reminder that it is not by my strength but by His that a live out each day and raise these precious children that He has blessed me with. I would really enjoy the GoBible Voyager and would love to share it with a dear friend that I know would be blessed by it. -juliemperezatyahoodotcom
Sometimes I too tell myself, that's it! I quit! Thanks for the encouragement to let God work through me in the lives of my boys. I can't do it on my own.
GoBible Voyager, and I would give the second pack to my friend Jennie whose husband is leaving for training with the Army at the end of the month.
Stefanie Dingledine
Thaks so much for the devotion. I have a five month old daughter and a six year old son. We are in the process of adopting our son. This last year has been tough. Adam,my son, has some mild behavior problems. As soon as I think we are on the right track he does something to set us months back. I often loose my temper with him. Which makes me feel terrible. Until I read this devotion I also felt like I wanted and needed to QUIT. I am hoping to be able to follow your example and let God help me become the great mom I want to be. If chosen, I would like the GoBible Voyager. I would give the second one to my stepmother. She has been my mom when she didn't have to be, when it was hard to be, and when my mother couldn't be. My mother still has four out of the six of us at home. Needless to say she is very busy and would apreciate a way to be able to get her bible study in. Thanks Jennifer Blanton.
[email protected]
Renee,
As mamas we all struggle with the image of perfection. Without God, we will always fall short. Thank you for sharing your personal experience. We mamas really lift each other up when we speak our truth – authentically, dust bunnies, muffin tops, temper tantrums and all.
I would enjoy any of the GoBibles. I love surprises! I would share one with a dear coworker who could use some encouragement as a newly divorced mother of three. She could use a little reminder that God hasn't forgotten her.
God Bless,
Alison
Oops….would love the Voyager GoBible!
Jennifer Wallin
[email protected]
So glad to read that I am not alone. I look at other moms and wonder hoe they do it all the time! I have 7 children from 2yrs – 18yrs. I would give the second pack to my best friend who has 3 boys ages 10 yrs- 17 yrs old. Thank you for your blogs!
[email protected]
I totally understand feeling like a failure as a mom. It is something I have battled with for years. Now I find myself homeschooling my 2 children and I am constantly questioning myself on the job I am doing. I would love to win a gobible. Would love to be pouring His Word into my mind as I am working out in the mornings. What a blessing that would be!!!!!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your ministry!!
Jennifer Wallin
[email protected]
I love your Devotions and look forward to the emails. I lost my Mother on Feb. 14, 2011; so this week has been really hard. She was a good Mother to my sister and I. I know that my Mother is in Heaven and I can say that God's Grace is seeing me through each moment of the day. I would like the GoBible Orignal if I won. The other I would give to my Sister.
Thanks for your ministry.
[email protected]
Wonderful Wonderful Devotion 🙂 I love the GoBible Original and I would love to share with my best friend who moved across the country about 2 years ago – she is a SAHM with little ones and often can be found digging into God's word and leading her family to do the same.
Thank you!
I would love the Go Bible Voyager. I'd give the 2nd pack to a good mommy friend of mine who lives far away from friends and family, and can use all the encouragement she can get.
Thank you for always sharing "truth," in such practical ways. I am a mom of 3 boys (16,10& 13 mo.) and a step-mom to two children. I am having a very difficult time with one of my step-kids. I too have been wanting to, "turn in my pink slip," and quit. "This is not what I signed up for," I have said. It is a very difficult balance to love the un-loveable, and to be a Godly woman, in spite of how I am treated. Hitting my knees in prayer and tears, is the only peace in the midst of this storm.
I would appreciate any of the bibles, and I would give the other to a single mom (oh how they need encouragement and love!)- my sister-in-law.
I would love to win the Voyager Go-Bible. It would be so helpful to have it at my fingertips anywhere, anytime. Your devotions are always so timely and touching. Thanks so much.