Photo by Dragonimages
Are you my Mother? This classic children’s book by P.D. Eastman shows a little bird on the hunt for his mother. I feel like some us have this same confusion when it comes to our blended families. Are you the mother? What is motherhood?
There are many ways a stepmom can ‘mother’ and be part of a child’s life. We can love. We can be the cheerleader. We can be the extra set of hands. Some of us are by necessity more hands on. I know from speaking and praying together that you do not take that role lightly.
We can also be spiritual mothers. As a Christian, I am so passionate about my faith. It is an honor to pray for my stepson. Covering his life in prayer has become a calling and treasured role. As his stepmom, I can be a partner with my husband in having a faith based home life. Our marriage and choices can hopefully reflect and be an example of our Christian lifestyle.
Look at this passage of Scripture with me: Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”
Being a stepmom is confusing. Who is in charge of the clothes, the doctor visits, the school activities and talking to the teacher? Sometimes we do well parenting together and sometimes the lines get blurred and we aren’t sure where we fit in. But one thing is very clear if you are a Christian. The Lord spelled out our role for us right here in Deuteronomy.
Stepmoms, if we do nothing else we need to be intentional in our spiritual mothering. The Bible calls us to commit ourselves wholeheartedly. There is nothing one foot in about that message! We are called to jump with both feet intentionally and confidently into showing our children, however they came into our lives, the love of Jesus.
I can hear you saying, “Emily these children are barely with us! We have so little time to share the Word of God!” Take a second look at verse 7 with me. It says to talk to our children when they are home and when they are on the road. Yes, share with your children when they are within your four walls. But when you are apart? You can still share! Ask how you can pray for them or simply say, “Hey I prayed for you this week.” Share your faith over the phone, send Bible verses back and forth with them. When my stepson was little, we listened to Adventures in Odyssey on the drives back and forth for pick up and drop off. Find your best way to share and talk with your children. Mother them as you are called to do.
Women ‘mother’ through different paths and roles. We are moms, aunts and caregivers. Stepmom is one more way we ‘mother.’ Happy Mother’s Day, Stepmoms! May you know the joy of using the gifts God created within you.
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