Missional Motherhood is What We Strive for But Fail at So Often
May is one of my favorite times of year. The school year is wrapping, summer plans are coming together, beauty is blooming all around, and the warm sunshine is a joyful reminder of the bright hope we have in Christ.
May is also a time to celebrate moms. Brian and I are grateful to have such wonderful mothers and grandmas. We are heirs of generations of believing women who have left a legacy of teaching and training their children in Christ. While we have experienced such a great blessing, we know that thoughts of “Mom” are not always positive for some. Sometimes it opens deep wounds, feelings of betrayal or abandonment, feelings of never being enough, and feelings of deep loneliness. Amidst some of the darkest brokenness of relationships, God’s mercy shines through in stark contrast. Those hurts cannot be undone but God, through His mercy, will work to bring healing to those wounds.
It is through God’s mercy that motherhood is understood to be missional. God’s mercy has sought us out, dealt with us tenderly, and forgiven us our great debt. His great mercy in the work of Christ is what motivates us to live wholly for His glory. Missional motherhood seeks to share and live out the Gospel message, train children in the righteousness of Christ, humbly serve and meet the needs of others, and nurture life in the face of death. Missional motherhood is an act of worship unto the Lord. Missional motherhood is what we strive for but fail at so often. Missional motherhood is walking alongside your child to the cross of Christ where we find His mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness together.
Being a mom is one of the greatest blessings I could ever experience. I love getting to watch our kids enjoy God’s creation and one of my favorite springtime adventures is fishing! Our kiddos have enjoyed fishing at the pond several times and even some excursions to a few local lakes with the boat and kayaks. Reese is our top fisher so far with the most catches while Emmalee is an official “Master Angler” for landing a record hybrid bass. Paxton and Ronnie have been working hard on getting all their tackle and poles prepared and trying different setups. Riley and Emmalee also helped get the fountain out into the Shiloh pond. Even Shadow and Rocket have enjoyed a few paddleboat and kayak rides.
Other recent adventures include Brian taking several kids on hikes looking for antler sheds and other forest treasures. They often return with interesting finds of glass bottles, animal bones, cool rocks, and an antler or two. He’s also had some of the kids helping to clean up clearings in the woods for preparation of food plot planting. The kids are learning a great deal about conservation, herd- management, and land-management to ensure an excellent fall deer season. Springtime also includes the opening of turkey season and Hope was able to harvest a bird. We’re looking forward to a delicious turkey dinner soon!
Speaking food, Emmalee, Hope, and Riley have been great helpers in the kitchen. Riley’s baking request is usually to make brownies with Oreos. Hope has been a great kitchen assistant with jumping in on whatever I need help with. Emmalee has really enjoyed learning about flour milling and making bread with Mrs. Kolars. She made a delectable loaf of chocolate chip bread.
Another treasure of motherhood is building special memories with our kiddos. We’ve celebrated two birthdays this spring and both have happened to coincide with exciting trips. Evie’s 15th birthday was a loud one as we attended the WinterJam concert in Springfield, MO. I think everyone’s favorite part of the night was singing along to “Holy Forever” with Chris Tomlin. We spent the next day at the massive Bass Pro Shop and Aquarium and Museum. We finished the day off with 14” pancakes for dinner and a stop at Buc-ee’s. The entire trip was an incredible experience for everyone. Hunter turned 17 in March and enjoyed belated birthday celebrations with our families on an Easter trip back home to Illinois. Everyone got to see our childhood town of Danville and spend the day visiting with my family and enjoying Easter goodies from my mom. We attended Easter services back in Mattoon at Broadway. It’s always great to catch up with our home church family. Brian’s parents hosted an Easter lunch and his mom held an Easter egg hunt for all the kids. We are indebted to all who support this ministry and make it possible for us create lasting memories with the children God has placed in our home.
Being a mom is no easy task. The days are full of challenges and never enough time or energy to tackle everything that needs done. Moms often shoulder a burden of guilt for not being their best for their children. It’s easy to get weighed down and focused on the wrong things but it’s God’s tender mercies that carry us through the rough seasons and His Holy Spirit that reminds us to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus. One of my favorite missionary quotes reminds me often that motherhood goes beyond meeting temporal needs and reaches into the realm of eternal implications:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” – C.T. Studd
All glory to God alone, The Ellermets