Top

Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

You’re Not Alone

Being a mom is too important and too hard to go it alone. Isolation is dangerous. It’s where the enemy whispers, “You are the only one who thinks that way. You are the only one who feels like the way you do. You are the only one who acts like that.” Then he tries to convince us we will never change or guilts us into trying to be super-mom, super-wife, super-woman, super-servant – but all we become is super-tired!

When we fall short, we beat ourselves up. We hide our failure and flaws and work a little harder to do it a little better tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but it wears me out!

Even men are realizing it’s just not realistic! Today I want to introduce you to some Godly leaders who care about us moms. This video offers encouraging words from the D6 Conference.

We want to pass our faith to our children, but when we get to the end of our day most of us are out of time and energy. We need help. We need simple and practical steps towards becoming a D6 mom. But even Godly goals can lead to more tiredness. We’ve got to take care of our hearts first.

Last year, while speaking at a women’s conference, three women came up to me individually and secretly confessed that they were ready to walk out on their families. All of them were believers. And all of them had the same feeling – NUMB.

They were exhausted. Two of them said they didn’t feel anything anymore. They thought they could leave their kids and husbands and have no regrets. But as they listened to my messages, God spoke to their hearts, helping them realize they were not alone. And the Holy Spirit nudged each one to tell me. Isolation was losing its power.

I prayed and held each woman’s hands in that sacred place of confession and healing. Tears began to flow and hearts began to soften. I knew God wanted me to tell them to take care of their hearts, because our heart is central to who we are. Their hearts were shutting down and these women were scared. Deep in their souls they knew being numb wasn’t good and that walking out would hurt someone – even if they thought it wasn’t them. So, I encouraged them to:

  • Be still for even just 10 minutes a day, to write down thoughts and struggles, to find promises to pray in His Word and carry in their hearts.
  • Talk to God and a trusted friend about things to cut back, to make room in their hearts for those who were slipping away – their families and even God.

You and I could get to that point if we are not careful. I don’t want that to happen. Next week we’re going to talk about practical ways to start living out D6 principles from Deuteronomy 6:5-9. But first I want us to promise we will focus on our relationship with Jesus. Ask Him to show you how you can take better care of your heart, because He wants that, and after all, that’s where being a D6 mom starts.

Deuteronomy 6:4, “Listen, O _____________(your name). The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength… (Then teach them to your children….)

Copyright 2009. Renee Swope – All rights reserved.

 

*********************************************************
Today’s Mom Give-Away
It’s Friday, so we’re giving away two tickets to the D6 Conference, and a D6 mom T-shirt. If you can’t make it to the conference, we’ll substitute tickets with a book from one of the conference speakers. Winners will be drawn from today’s comments and announced on Saturday. Be sure to include your email address with your comment so we can contact you if you win the give-away.
Don’t forget, our month of encouragement for moms continues next week with great give-aways each day. So be sure to come back for more encouragement and resources from D6 and Proverbs 31 Ministries! If you’d like an email reminder each time I post, sign up for Bloglines in my sidebar.

Discover more from Renee Swope

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Comments

  1. Renee,

    I can relate to the isolation and tiredness that often fills me from trying to be a “good” wife and mother. Since both my sons began pre-school this year, I have started reading devotions and spending more time with God. I also started jogging. What a difference quiet time with God and a stress reliever like exercise can make. It is giving more energy, strength, and patience! Thanks for all you do. JD at [email protected]

  2. I look forward to go this journey on your blog to become a D6 mum.
    God’s timing is so good i was struggling in feeling so insecure while guiding my kids……lately and is like this is what i need….

    Blessings
    Bernice
    ( [email protected])

  3. Thanks for this! I have been a stay at home mom for a year and a half. It has been challenging and there are times that I feel like a failure when I get frustrated. However, my Pastor preached a sermon New Years eve that let me know that God has heard me this past year and that I was the one far away from Him and not the other way around. I have been doing some “heart work” and it has proven to allow me to handle the struggles that present themselves on a daily basis with the Word of God! I am becoming a can do mom and want to continue so that I can raise can do kids that love the Lord!

    Astra
    [email protected]

  4. I forgot to enter in the email address so my mother in law has a chance to win the two tickets. My story was about how my mother in law has a household of 5-6 people and her youngest child has seizures. Thank you.

    Her name: Debbie
    [email protected]

  5. I am not a mother but I know my mother in law can relate to this article. She has opened up to me a few times about all the stress and drama and hardships in taking care of all of us. Earlier last year in her household was 7 of us. Now there is only 5 sometimes 6 when her middle child stays the night. She is a baby christian. Just got baptized 8/28/08 and we are so happy she made the decision to live for God. She is an awesome women before God and definitely more awesome with God. My husband and I are having a hard time financially and have been staying with his mom for over a year. We try to help by buying things for the house and cleaning the kitchen, etc. My mother-in-law’s youngest son has life threatening seizures every now and then. He is 15 and my mother in law is 52 so you can imagine how much energy it takes to keep up with her youngest child. He is a handful personality wise and healthwise. I think this workshop would be very encouraging for her. Maybe her and my could go.

  6. I left a comment already, but I just checked the website about the D6 conference and felt overwhelmed with emotion. If I am chosen today, those 2 tickets would definitely be used. Thank you for the chance.

    [email protected]

  7. Renee, Thank you for lifting up and encouraging all of us who have been blessed to carry the job title “MOM”. It is a challenging title to say the least, and it helps a lot to read your posts and the following comments just to know that we are not alone on our journey! It is also good to be reminded often that we should not even try to go it alone. Why am I always so surprised to find that trials are resolved easiest once I have come to the end of my own self and have to rely on His strength? May I learn to start my day by handing everything over to Him before I get my messy hands on it, instead of after I’ve already blown it!

  8. While reading your blog today, I remembered a couple of years ago when my very dear friend called me sobbing in the middle of an open field with a gun in her hand. She said that she wanted to leave it all. She had been trying to live the “super mom” life and it was too much to bear. Thank God, she did not hurt herself that day and has reclaimed her faith! Today I pray for all those moms that have taken care of everyone around them, but have forgotten to care of their hearts and their own relationship with the Lord – which even speaks to me. Thank you for the reminder.

    [email protected]

  11. I look forward to go this journey on your blog to become a D6 mum.
    God’s timing is so good i was struggling in feeling so insecure while guiding my kids……lately and is like this is what i need….

    Blessings
    Bernice
    ( [email protected])

  13. Thank you for talking about such a taboo subject. I have felt numb so many times. Being a mom takes so much out of you and you really get nothing back. I have questioned my love for my more difficult child at times because I just can’t feel anything a lot of the time.I ‘m only just getting out the failure frame of mind and realizing that I can be a good mom and that I’m not a horrible person for feeling this way. Thank you for showing that we’re not alone.

    donyse@comcast,net

  14. Thank you! Your post is a huge blessing. I am a mom to 2 young boys, and I can feel the same – frustrated, worn out, and wondering why I am the only one who can’t get it together. And I always am at my worst when I haven’t made time for my time with God. Thanks for the reminder, Megan
    [email protected]

  15. Renee, thank you. You have fan the flame of my heart to be a better mom to my children. I have to confess that I didn’t enjoy being a mother as much. However, the Lord has been gracious in showing me how important it is to being a mom. And since then, I have learned to value my role as a mom. So, that is a plus for me and my children. No, it has not become easier for me. In fact, it has been harder now that I know I have failed as a mother and need desperately to improve.

    Thank God, I know early enough that I can change.

    Thank you for inspiring me to live a better life for my children.

  16. God’s words via your pen are a balm to my weary soul. Thanks.

    peace~elaine

  17. I can so totally relate to that numb feeling. For so long, I preferred the numbness to the pain of feeling like a failure. I am learning that pain has a purpose, to encourage me to make the changes necessary to relieve the feeling, rather than just self-medicate it away with food, computer, tv, etc.

  18. I’d never thought of the danger of isolation in such concrete terms, but you’re so right. We moved here two years ago and even though we’ve got a new church community and I’ve been intentional about trying to find fellowship through Bible study groups and such, I’ve found that I feel out of sync here. So even though I’m not alone, there is a sense of isolation that I didn’t have before.

    It’s funny that blogging has helped fill that void some. I have found blogs of like-minded people and some of them drop by mine as well. Blogging also helps me be more intentional with seeing God in my daily life and finding ways to bring that awareness to my kids. I’m enjoying this series of posts.

  19. Thank you. This is timely. With kids 10 and 13 life is busy and so much more is outside my house and influence. I need to ground myself daily so I can impart to my kids spiritual things.
    Darla