With Mother’s Day around the corner, there is no better time to BUY YOURSELF A GIFT. Not just any gift, but the kind of keepsake that focuses solely on your emotional needs as a mom. Because, let’s face it, as caretakers of humans, we’ve got some feelings swirling around in our heart don’t we? Lots of emotions compete for our attention on any given day, and so many are overwhelming and difficult to manage or process.
Although our individual experiences as a mom are unique to our family circumstances, the emotions of motherhood are universal. We may wonder if we are alone on an island when it comes to the things that keep us up at night, but as moms, we share the same emotional shore. None of us are immune to feeling afraid, alone, confused, distraught, overwhelmed, depressed, worried, angry, and guilty—among a million other feely things.
So often we keep these sentiments to ourselves, pretending to have it all together for fear of exposing our weaknesses. Mommas, we won’t always have a clear head and a heart in perfect balance. Life is wonky and raising kids is a topsy-turvy experience, making it impossible for us to feel content 100% of the time.
Which is why these fellow moms wrote books to meet us where we’re at in our emotional journey. Each book presses into the truth of what swirls inside our mom heart. Both are 31-day devotionals with short personal reflections full of inspiration, spiritual uplift, and an intentional “me too” atmosphere in which we can find communal and faith-filled healing and encouragement.
The first is Midnight Lullabies: Moments of Peace for Moms, by Lauren Eberspacher.
Often, mothers are told about the joyful, exciting things that they are about to embark on as they enter into parenthood. What people fail to share is the hard seasons of motherhood: loneliness, anxiety, depression, insecurity, comparison, disconnect with the Lord and their husbands, and loss of identity. These seasons can consume their hearts and steal their joy, leaving them hopeless and full of shame. Most mothers hide during this time, thinking that they are alone or that something is wrong with them.
The simple truth is that having children changes everything. But so does Jesus. His Word can breathe life into every space, and Midnight Lullabies meets the weary mama in the trenches of motherhood while she does Kingdom work within the four walls of her home, shining light and giving hope when it seems most far away.
In Midnight Lullabies, over 31 days, Lauren Eberspacher explores those places of motherhood that are often left unspoken. While embarking on her own journey of being a mama, she has encountered seasons that shocked and surprised her. But there is always hope. As a storyteller, Lauren takes the everyday moments and gives biblical insight to the mother facing these hard seasons, giving the reader a sense that they are having a conversation with a friend around a cozy kitchen table.
Mothers often just want to hear another mom say she’s in it with them. And when Eberspacher addresses these hard issues, she not only says, “I’ve been there; I understand,” but she follows it with, “But God.” Eberspacher shows that Jesus can be found in every moment of motherhood and that His strength and His Word are enough for you.
The second book is, How Are You Feeling, Momma? (You don’t need to say, “I’m fine.”): Authentic & Encouraging Psalm Reflections on the Many Emotions of Motherhood by Shelby Spear and Lisa Leshaw.
Knowing we are a bundle of emotions in our heart space as mommas, why do we pretend to be okay when someone asks, “How are you feeling?” Too often we respond with, “I’m fine,” when we are so NOT FINE. We often choose to hide our feelings because if we give them room to breathe, scary things can happen. One of which is a complete unraveling of all the ‘fake it until you make it’ holding us together. Who wants to risk coming undone when we’re already on ‘overwhelmed mother’ status?
How Are You Feeling, Momma? is a sigh of relief as you come to realize you are not alone in how you feel. This book meets you where you’re at with realness and authenticity–and a heavy dose of wit, as Shelby and Lisa give you an authentic peek into their inner lives by sharing candid and personal reflections about 31 emotions they’ve grappled with over many years. In each chapter, you will read two perspectives of each emotion. One captures the emotion from Shelby’s experience as a Christian mom and the other from Lisa’s vantage point as a Jewish step-mom and grandma.
Every reflection includes a corresponding Psalm scripture to help you connect the pleadings in your soul to the pleadings in the Psalms. The authors chose the Psalms because they demonstrate that although we may try and pretend with others, there is nothing we can hide from God. His presence never leaves us, which means he knows exactly what’s going on in our heart—the worries, fears, angst, and confusion. The risk of being vulnerable reaps great rewards when it comes to God’s love for us. It seems like the Hebrews took full advantage of this truth back in the day when you consider the Psalms. All the “Why, God?”, “Why not, God?”, “When, God?”, “How, God?”, and “Are you sure, God?” questions hanging in the air thousands of years ago mirror the longings inside of us today.
When we dare to be vulnerable, both with God and others, we not only create opportunities to unburden our heart, but we show the other person asking that being vulnerable and authentic is safe for them as well. Which is why these mommas wrote this book. Shelby and Lisa have 66+ years of combined parenting, step-parenting, and grandparenting between them. They’ve been on their knees too many times to count, begging God for answers and relief. This book is a joint effort to share what they’ve learned, provide some spiritual uplift for all mommas in the trenches of motherhood, and remind all moms that it’s okay to feel what you feel.
So, invest in your heart this Mother’s Day by buying yourself a gift that keeps on giving and meets you where you’re at with honesty and authenticity. Both these books offer a safe space to get alone with God and alone with your feelings so you can reconcile what needs to heal in the Light of His presence.
Treat yourself, Mommas!
