Now What?
- Cathrine Schmelzer
- May 17
- 4 min read
How do I navigate all stages of motherhood, in good seasons and bad seasons?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6NLT
How to handle certain parts of life is a universal question; how to navigate and handle different parts and stages of our kids’ lives is question universal to us moms. It’s a question that spans throughout the entirety of time and seems to be never-ending. We think we have life figured out, have a plan-or several-, think we know what to do, and then comes the unexpected. My baby isn’t developing as expected. My toddler won’t stop biting. My middle schooler is being bullied. My big kid got in trouble for something I never thought they would do. My adult child has walked away from the faith. All of a sudden reality has smacked us in the face and we’re left with the question “Now what?”
The world is full of advice on how to handle things. Opinions and unsolicited advice are everywhere. Self-help books abound, medical and psychological experts have their own knowledge and methods, our own upbringing and experiences shape our views and behaviors. And while none of these are bad things-in fact, they can be quite helpful-they aren’t always enough. Fortunately, God offers us another solution: bring it all to Him.
Our scripture tells us to lean on God’s understanding. Not our own, not anyone else’s, His. No matter how wise, educated, or well-informed someone is, they are still human. Their knowledge and perspective are limited. And as far as people’s opinions? When was the last time you saw the internet-or even all the people in your life-agree on anything? But the God of the universe, the One who holds the world together and exists outside of time, knows and sees it all. He cares deeply and wants to help. The AMP version of our scripture tells us to confidently rely on the Lord with all our heart, to know, acknowledge, and recognize Him in everything, and tells us when we do that, He will straighten and smooth our paths, removing obstacles that block our way.
So, mama, whatever it is you’re facing, go to God. Whatever your child is going through, bring it to Yahweh. Seek and trust His guidance, knowing He will never lead you astray.
God, thank You for our children. Thank You for choosing us as their moms even though we sometimes question “why us?” and doubt our abilities. You see way more than we could ever imagine, and You know us and our kids better than anyone else ever could. When we are caught off-guard and don’t know what to do, when we have decisions to make and/or help our kids make, when we’re overwhelmed and facing unmet expectations, will You remind us to turn to You? I pray that we will always seek Your wisdom and will teach our kids to do the same. Thank You for being faithful to always guide us. Amen
Faith Follow-Through:
This week, take some time to grow in motherhood and faith:
Tuesday:
Proverbs 22:6 AMP says, “Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
This is not necessarily a promise that your kids will always follow God’s direction, but it is an encouragement that they will remember what you teach them. Model seeking God’s direction in everything, encourage them to do the same, and pray for His wisdom with your kids.
Wednesday:
2nd Timothy 3:15 AMP says, “and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]”.
Listen to, pray, and/or sing along with the song Trust in God by Elevation Worship. Thank God for His wisdom and for never letting us down regardless of how you feel.
Thursday:
Pray for specific parenting guidance. Ephesians 6:4 AMP says, “…do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indiƯerence to any of them], but bring them us [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Tell God what your expectations are and allow Him to reveal expectations you may not know you have. Let Him tell you what your expectations should be for your children and seek Him in following what He says.
Written by Alisen, mom of 1
