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.
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Thanks for sharing that. I written a prayer that I posted right in front of me at work so that I can be reminded to look past the dirt to find the gold. I would like the voyager Bible. I'd give the second pack to my sister. She is very overworked as a mom with two kids and no family around to help her since she moved 5 states away.
thank you for your devotional.
~~Lacie~~
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Thank you for the devotion(s) today, Renee! Touched my heart right where I needed it. Thank you for sharing. I would love to have the GoBible Voyager. I know that I need to be filled daily so that I can in turn pour into my family and those around me. I would love to give one to my friend who is a hardworking mom who is constantly on the go! Blessings!
Janelle
That you for the devotion(s) that I read at just the right time this morning! Having baby number 3 has really brought me to my knees! (even though she's almost 1!) I'm realizing that I can't do this on my own and need the Lord's help EVERY DAY. I want to feed myself with His Word so that I can be filled and in turn pour out to my family and in turn, those around me. I would love to have the GoBible Voyager, and would give the second to a good friend of mine who is a hard-working mom on-the-go. Thank you for taking time to pour into others! Be blessed!
Janelle
Your devotion was exactly what I needed today! If I won, I would like the Voyager. I would share the second one with my daughter, whose husband is in the military. Between that and chasing a 10-month-old, she could really use a Bible-On-The-Go.
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I just wrote a very long commet about my daughter and I's journey for the past two years after findind out my husband of 18 years was cheating on me and picked the other woman who was also married and the pain my 9 years daughter and I have gone through and how your gobible would help give me the tools of our Lord to deal with her 5 week visit with her verbal abusive father this summer. Anyway my commet didn't post and I don't have the time to rewrite it. I teach Title one Math 6th 7th and 8th grade. I get up st 5:30 to read Lysa'a posts and came across yours today. I would use your gift if you picked my daughter and I as the winners and share the other one with my best friend a single mom of two wonderful boys. [email protected] I pray this commet makes it to you. God Bless
I loved this devotion. I've been struggling with being the mommy I want to be to my girls (5 and 8) lately. Our son passed away in August and sometimes my grief is just too overwhelming to have anything left to give. I praise God that He has kept us all close to His heart during this time, but there are days that I just want to hide. I have an hour commute to and from work and the GoBible Voyager sounds like a good way to be able to start and end my day. I would give the other one to my best friend who has fallen away from the Lord in the past few years and who needs encouragement to get herself and her son back to Him.
Judy
Your devotion was exactly what I needed today! If I won, I would like the Voyager. I would share the second one with my daughter, whose husband is in the military. Between that and chasing a 10-month-old, she could really use a Bible-On-The-Go.
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Thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement today. I love the Voyager GoBible. Great product!! The send gift, I would give to a dear mom in our church who I'd raising twin teenage boys alone with many health problems of her own. She could really benefit from this. God Bless!
Amy Pitman
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Renee, Like so many other moms this morning, I woke up tired and discouraged. I've been a mom for 20 years – oldest is 19 and youngest is 3 – and I still don't feel like I'm "doing it right". I'm going to cling to God's promises – and just take one step at a time. I'd love any GoBible – we farm and it would be awesome to have it with me while I'm waiting in the field!
What a great perspective to be reminded of. So often I try to do it all and forget that I really need God to get through my days. When I'm focused on Him my days are much better. I'd like the original GoBible. The second would go to my best friend going through a lot of heartache right now. Thanks!
What a great devotion today and I love your blog! I have been feeling very discouraged lately and your words spoke volumes to me. Praise the Lord! I would love the GoBible in any form (like the oOiginal best) and would give my 2nd pack away to my best friend who has always been a blessing to me. She has a 3 year old son and in the process of adoption. What a great baby gift this would be!
I am n no way picky, Renee! Every gift given is a blessing. I would give my second 1 to my bf Sabrina cause she is a mother of 4 & struggles so much w/findn the time w/God she desperately needs. I know she could use this & would use this gift 2 her fullest!
Thank you for your devotion – I am a mother of two young ones and I do struggle with being a mom. I work full-time, then there are church activities, friends, family events, and my husband all needing my attention and I do want to QUIT sometimes. But it is God's Grace that keeps me going and His wisdom that helps me to prioritize – AMEN.
I would love the NIV version of the Voyager GoBible. I have two wonderful friends who are also mothers of toddlers and I can't decide which I would give the second one to so I would give one to each of them and maybe buy one for myself – I love these ladies that much!! There is nothing like having friends who know and share in my same struggles!
Loved the devotion this morning! If I win I would like the Voyager GoBible and I would give the other pack to one of my co-workers daughters she could really use the encouragement right now. She has one toddler, is expecting and is facing extreme resistance from people close to her.
I am absolutely not picky. I feel any gift given is a blessing. Id give my second 1 2 my bf Sabrina. She has 4 lil children & struggles w/the time 2 get w/God. I believe she could use this & would 2 her fullest!
Hi Renee,
I'm just a 21 year old girl and I'm so glad to stumble upon your blog through Proverbs 31 emailing list! I find great encouragement through your blog though I'm not a mom yet! Let this blog continue to touch various precious lives of all different ages.
I'd love to win a GoBible Voyager all for my mum. I believe this GoBible Voyager will help her to listen to God's Word wherever she goes- in her workplace or simply doing housechores at home. The other one I'd like to give to a neighbour, church member and a good friend of my mum who has adopted and takes care of a spastic kid whose parents have left her since she was borned. I believe GoBible Voyager can be a tremendous blessing to her too as she is always on the go- always fetching and waiting for her precious kid class to finish, she can pop this and hear God's Word and other's personal downloaded songs/sermons while waiting.
Blessings,
Melissa Ong
[email protected]
Hi Renee
I received so much from this devotion today. As tears fell from my eyes realizing someone feels the way I do and struggles with what u struggle with. My life is very busy… As ours all is … But I struggle really hard to make god and spending time with him each morning when that is what I need the most so the voyager bible would be most helpful to me and I would give another one to my friend Cheron who told me about proverbs 31 ministries because it has really blessedy life!!! I asked to be ur friend on fb but just in case my email is [email protected]
Loved the devotional!
If I won I would like the Voyager GoBible. I would give the second pack to my co-workers daughter, she could really use the encouragment right now as she is expecting a second child and is facing a lot of resistance from those around her.
What a great devotion today. My youngest child is headed off to college in the fall so my days of being a mom in the sense of how I have been for the past 21 years are changing. I will no longer be needed for the everyday mom things. But my relationship with my girls is changing into a fun and positive friendship. I am still needed as their "mom" from time to time, but they are now considering me a friend. I love that. I have always prayed we would be friends and we would be close when they became grown women. I haven'be been perfect but I have tried to show my girls how to be Godly women by being a Godly woman.
If I could have a GoBible it would be the Voyager. What an awesome tool! I spend a lot of time commuting and it would be great to be able to hear the word while I ride the train every day. I would share the mom package with my sister. She is an amazing mom. She is struggling as a single parent but she is constantly praying and asking the Lord to help her be the mom He wants her to be. I love encouraging her with little gifts for herself and reminding her how wonderful she is as a mom and as my sister.
Thank you for the devotions. God bless. Robin – [email protected]
Thank you for this devotion. As a mother of two boys under 3, this devotion spoke directly to me. I would give the second one to my sister-in-law, who also has two children under 3.
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