Leaning on God as a SAHM

A reminder we all need.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Being a first-gen SAHM in today’s culture can often feel like a sacrifice. “Was this all I was meant for?” you might wonder as women brag about having it all. “Am I fulfilling my potential?” you might think as you look at your college degree and consider if it was a waste. Of course, raising our babies and giving them all our time and energy is everything we could truly long for — and yet, we are pushed away from that desire over and over in favor of self-fulfillment.

That’s where God comes in.

As SAHM’s, we need to lean on God for support constantly. We are warriors for His vision of the world and we are the last bastion of strength that protects our children and families from the onslaught of modern, selfish, and Godless thought.

I know how easy it is to forget to pray for God’s help in a hard moment, or to get caught up in society’s narratives about what’s important. But God is truly the best source of comfort in trying times. His guidance is what reminds us what life is for — not us, nor our selfish pursuits, but the people we can raise in His reflection and as His servants.

When wiping tushies and cleaning spills becomes the overwhelming burden of motherhood, I quietly say a prayer. Or sometimes loudly, for my children to hear! I want them to hear me speak to God on a regular basis. “Please Hashem,” I say (that is the Hebrew name Jews use for God), “Please help me remember that these are just little bothersome moments and I am so blessed to be able to watch my babies grow each day.” All of a sudden, just requesting a more grateful perspective gives me the ability to perceive it.

Leaning on God allows me to reflect on how appreciative I am that He has given me the opportunity to be home with my children. God is the truest compass of what is important, and what is important is not meaningless pleasure or loud acclaim. It's enjoying the life He has given me by embracing the slow beauty around me and taking responsibility for the things and people He has put in my care. Life isn't some hedonistic self-absorption fest. It's a purposeful path toward improvement and goodness.

I am not nearly as good as I should be about reading my Torah and Psalms every day. I should be better! And perhaps starting with Psalms would be helpful as I often want to leap into the stories of our ancestors yet another time but find myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content. Psalms speak to my soul directly, as David was as human as we are and suffered infinitely more, and yet still always sung God's praises. But I digress. Even when we don't spend time daily studying the words of God and holy men, we can still turn to God during the hard times. Motherhood is hard. There's no denying it. And it's especially hard when you treat it with seriousness, always trying to be better. But God knows the challenges -- is He not our father? Do we not challenge Him every day with our multitude of failures and choices that directly go against his directives? If anyone understands a mother's struggle with a toddler, it's God!

So who better for us to turn to as first-gen SAHMs. No one. God is IT. And he can provide you all the love you need in moments of pain and all the solace you crave in moments of fear. You are worthy. One quiet moment of prayer can help remind you of that in a loud world yelling the opposite.

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