The Ministry of Motherhood

[00:00:02] Speaker A: A mother's love so deep, so wide A steady hand a faithful guide she wipes our tears she calms our fears she walks beside us through the years she wakes before the morning light to pray, to serve, to guide, to fight not battles waged with sword or might but prayers whispered through the night but some are mothers not by birth yet pour out love of boundless worth they mother hearts they shape a soul they fulfill a mother's sacred role A grandma's arms, an aunt's embrace A foster mom who fills the A teacher, mentor, sister or friend they love like Christ without an end to those who've lost, who grieve Today we see your tears we hear you pray A mother's love does not depart it lives forever in the heart O bless the mothers our Lord above For all they've done for all their love for in this love so deep, so true we glimpse, O Lord, a love like you. [00:02:07] Speaker B: Well, welcome to Living Hope Church. Happy Mother's Day to the mothers here today. And excited to be able to spend some time in God's word with you. If you have been with us for the last few weeks, you know that we have been walking through the Old Testament. And today we're gonna take a break from that because it is. All right, cool. We're all remembering that. And today we're gonna do something a little bit different. Obviously, instead of being in an Old Testament book, we're gonna spend time looking at what God's word says to moms and to parents and to really all of us. But I wanna spend really just a focused time in this message looking at, focusing on remembering maybe the mothers here in the room, maybe your mom, maybe just considering all of that spectrum around motherhood and even parenting in of itself. Now, I realize today that some of us in this room have or had really good, good moms. I also realize that some of us here in this room have or had really dysfunctional moms. Some of us have or had absent moms due to death or relational brokenness. Some of you have lost children, so you might be feeling unfulfilled as a mom. Some of you, maybe your kids have walked away from you or the Lord. Some of you today maybe want to be moms, but you're not. Some of you have biological kids, and some of you maybe don't, not by choice. Others, obviously adoptive moms. And in the midst of Mother's Day, there's this tension. I think that we just have to realize. Can we just realize this for a minute, that there is joy because we all, like. We go around, Yay. Happy Mother's Day. It's wonderful. And then there's this real tension that exists for some, maybe for many of this. I'm also feeling some hard stuff. Do you know what I'm talking about today? That there's this. [00:04:07] Speaker A: Yay. [00:04:07] Speaker B: This is so good. I'm so happy. I have all these good memories. And there's also some that I have some hard memories or some hard realities around this, maybe stories from your life or the lives of people around you on this subject. And so today, what I'm gonna do, I'm just gonna be very honest with you. I'm gonna try to help us sit in that tension this morning. And so it's not just gonna be all daffodils and roses, but there will be some fun things and some jokes, and so you're always okay to laugh. And I also realize that some of you today, you're single, your husbands, your kids, your teens. And so you're realizing, like, all right, what does this even have to do with me today? And I promise you this, there is something for you today because God speaks to every single one of us. So regardless of where you are on this subject, I just want to encourage you right now to stick with us as we journey through. And really, you will see many times how this is gonna be deeply applicable to you and your life and the lives of people around you. All right, Are we good? All that's kind of said, sitting there in that tension, we're rejoicing. We're, as God's word said, grieving with those who grieve. We're also realizing that this is to everybody here today. So with all that said, let me pray, and then we'll dive right in on the back of your bulletin. You can see that we will kind of walk through that outline. You could write some notes and such if you wish. Father in heaven, we are grateful this morning to be able to realize as we just sung all together as one church, that you are holy, you are worthy, you are a God of love, a God of grace for every single person here in this room. Lord, you see us. You know exactly where we are. You are not far from us this morning. And I ask that as we spend time looking at your word, looking at the subject matter, you would bring joy to our hearts. You would bring relief to our hearts. You would inform us. You would help us to even perhaps repent and turn back to you if we're straying from you in any area that your word calls us To Lord, I ask that you would speak through me. The things that I say would be just from you in your heart, in Jesus name. Amen. Anna M. Jarvis. She lived in 1864-1948. She first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all the mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908. That was some years ago, Miss Anna Jarvis gave a carnation, her mother's favorite flower, to each person who attended her service, the service of her mother. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity. And Mother's Day was observed in a number of large cities upcoming to that. But on May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as what? And so, for all of us who always forget when Mother's Day is, now you know it is on the second Sunday of May, we established the day as a time for public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers in our country. And all collectively, we said, aw, it's a special day, a day that should draw our attention. I also want to realize this. As you can see on your outline here in a minute, there's this reality that in terms in our country, and you all know this and you've seen this in many places, there can be an observance, a day to observe something, or there can be a title given something, or a principle that is taught in the country or practiced. But over time, we can stray from its true meaning. For example, we can see in God's word that God's word says that we are to love one another, right? But we can see that in our country, in our day and age, the term love has strayed from its biblical meaning, right? And so even today I want to realize this, that motherhood, even from perhaps the time we see here and in our culture, the terminology can shift. Even today, we know that what we might call a man or a woman is subject to interpretation. What we once thought was very clear, then we can begin shifting away from the biblical definition. And so far as right out of the gate, we just need to define what is biblical motherhood. And so, first item on your outline, if you want, you can write just defining Biblical Motherhood, just very straightforward here. And in all honesty, there's a lot of things that could be said about this. The depth of this definition can be rich. And what we want to see here is, is the Bible does say many things about motherhood, but I Also realize there's not a chapter and verse that says the definition of a mother is in Hezekiah 3, 4. But FYI, there's no book of Hezekiah. That was actually the joke. So motherhood. I put an A definition on the screen. There's many though, and there's depth here in this particular definition. You can read this. I'll read it as well. It's motherhood. It's is a high, noble, God ordained calling and vocation for women. It involves stewarding the gift of children as a profound privilege and responsibility, not a hobby, career interruption or self fulfillment project. And a lot of that can be unpacked. Now, as I said earlier, there is a lot of shift that can happen in definitions and that's why this biblical definition can be very helpful. And I just want to be really clear. I'm clear on biblical definitions. And so because of that, I just want to be very forthright with you. I am well aware that I am not a mom. Okay, just want to be really clear on that today. And so because of that, I am not giving my personal experience as being a mother. Perhaps, yes, some as a parent, but rather this message is aimed at us. Walking with Jesus. Perhaps if you're a mother in the room or a parent in the room, or really everyone else in the room based on what the Bible says, not based on most definitely my lack of experience as being a mother. There are some fantastic moms in the room here today who love their children in only a way that you can. Supporting them through thick and thin and watching them move from diapers to driving to dessert on a wedding cake to watching them change the diapers of their own kids. What a special journey parenting is. The person I call my mom is not my biological mom, but my adoptive mom. She is no less my mom than my biological mom. I have a biological mom and I have an adoptive mom, but I only call one of them mother. And I actually don't call her mother generally. But that's the woman who raised me, my mother. The one who literally journeyed with me from diapers to driving, to watching me eat the dessert at my wedding, to watching me change the diapers of my own kids. She's the one I call when I need honest feedback, an open ear or encouragement. Hopefully, even if you don't have a biological mother in your life, you have somebody in your life that is like that. Motherhood today has so many challenges. Right, moms? Should you give them organic snacks? Or is a few million Cheerios enough to cover them how much screen time is too much? Is that video game okay or not okay or at all? Should I homeschool them? Should I send them to private school or should I send them to public school? How much of the world am I allowed to expose them to before I mess them up completely? How on earth do I make bedtime easier? Why on earth is it so hard to schedule play dates for them or for me as the mom? If they only eat hot dogs, Mac and cheese and pizza, is that okay? Should I give them more boundaries or should I give them more grace? How on earth do I keep the house clean? How on earth do I get my husband to help more? And if you have figured all of those things out, then you jump on social media and you are immediately compared to all of the other moms who are doing just fine. And they're doing just fine doing all of those things. And they're also farming five acres, they're owning a small business, they raise seven kids, they have the dinner on the table by five, seven days a week. They go to church, Bible study. And so somehow they still have time to exercise and do morning devotions. And you're like, that's not me at all. As people as we grew up, we call it adulting. Adulting is really hard. Momming is even harder. Motherhood is a high and noble God ordained calling, a vocation for women. It involves stewarding the gift of children as a profound privilege and responsibility. Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of parenting, particularly for a mom, is this comparison. This comparison culture that we live in. You know what I'm talking about. We all live in this culture that compares me with everybody else out there who seems to get it right. Except I can't seem to do that. Constantly wondering if we're enough, if you're enough, if you're measuring up, if you're doing it right. How do you know as a parent or maybe as a mom, if you're succeeding, it looks so, so confusing, so challenging and downright exhausting. What does it mean to even look like you're doing it right? They're fed, they're clothed, they get school done. What else? As we examine this definition here, we learn a few things. Just look at that definition with me on the screen for a minute. We learn a few things. One, this God values motherhood. Secondly, God has thoughts about how mothers can do well, and his thoughts are more important than what the rest of the culture says. Thirdly, being a mom is hard and demanding where eight hour shifts are only dreamed about. And lastly, Children are a gift from God, and He is the final owner of their lives. The goal of this time is not to hammer these truths home, though for some here today, maybe that's very important. In reality, this definition is only scratching the surface. As I said before, the goal of this time here is to remind us all, and maybe particularly even mothers here today, of your identity in Jesus. To lean into the possible insecurities that might sit with you every day, the regrets, the worries that may exist, and to show you what God has to say about every one of those. So this is primarily, yes, aimed at moms. Every one of us here today is going to find something incredibly important for our own lives. Let's look at point two on your outline. It's this. And really this is a three point message. The first one is just kind of defining whether his design is enough. His design is enough. That is his. God's design is enough. God made us humans to be limited. How many of you know that to be true? Very, very limited. It doesn't matter if you're a mom or anybody else. We are limited. And if you haven't realized that yet, get that inside your mind because it's gonna give you some relief later on. We're designed to have limits, and those limits are actually good. But in the world that we live in, the culture that we live in, the humanity that's around us, limits are rarely celebrated. They are avoided at all costs. Now, as we think about moms today, moms feel limits daily. We all hopefully feel limits daily. So what do we do about that? And as a follower of Jesus, how do we handle these limits? I want to warn you, this is a super cliche answer that I'll unpack a little bit more. And it's this, how do we handle these limits every single day? It's this. Follow Jesus closely and rely on the Holy Spirit regardless of where you are experiencing those limits. He designed every single one of us here in this room to carry the Holy Spirit everywhere we go with us. He designed us in a special way so that his spirit could literally abide in us. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the what the dead lives in every single one of you here today. Every single exhausted mother. When you walk with God's spirit, you rightly reflect the character of God for parents to your children. And this is a vital part in raising children to know and to love Jesus. Friends, the enemy is the one who says you're not good enough. That you're the reason that if you're a parent, you're the reason that your kids don't follow Jesus, that you're the reason your kids are struggling so much, or that if you had only done blank right, your kids would be better off. That's the enemy saying that. Friends, Jesus is not saying that. That's the enemy. Jesus leads you and I with grace and with love and with gentle correction, not with shame and regret and disappointment. So as parents, perhaps here today of your biological kids, maybe adoptive kids, maybe spiritual kids, what do your kids need to see most in you? I love what Matt Chandler said in response to this, and I don't often quote lots of other pastors, but I love what he said to answer this question, what do your kids need to see most in you? It's on the screen as well. He said this. Your kids need to see your heart fully alive in Jesus. The Gospel says that as we rest in Jesus work in our lives, we fall in love with him more and let the overflow of that love afflict those in our households. But how does following Jesus more closely make you a better, for example, mom here in the room? Because hear this. Biblical motherhood reflects the nature of God. The traits we long for everyone here in this room. The traits we long for in a good mom. Hear this is actually perfectly displayed in God. What does that look like? And actually in Scripture, we see God using traits to. Using traits and terminology like a mother. So most of the time when we're reading through scripture, we see God as a father. But there are times that God even portrays himself to with characteristics that we would attribute to a loving and caring mother and friend. Mom, if you're here in the room thinking about how do I be a good mom? Is let the Holy Spirit come alive in you and demonstrate the characteristics that we see in God himself. Look at some of these verses on the screen. We see this feminine or motherhood kind of terms used for God or God's people. Listen to this. Matthew 23:37. I think the verse on your outline is incorrect there. It's verse 37. It says this. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the cities that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to it. Don't worry, you'll see where I'm going with this. How often I would have. Look at this. Gathered your children together as a What hen gathers her brood or gathers her chicks under her wings? That's that picture there. Paul in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2 says this, speaking of himself and God's people. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing. You know this verse, Mother taking care of her own children. And then he uses this word in verse 8 of 1 Thessalonians 2. So being affectionately desirous of you. Isaiah 66. These aren't all on the screen. It says, as a mother comforts her child, so will I. So will God speaking, so will I comfort you. In Isaiah 49, God compares His faithfulness to a nursing mother who will not forget her infant. Deuteronomy 32:18. I can go on and on and I won't. Here's the point. Rooting yourself in the transforming work of God and His spirit will transform your role as a parent and as a mom. Will you be perfect? What's the answer to that? No, no. I love what an author says. Not a Christian author. I love what she said about this. There's no way. Listen to this. Maybe write this down somewhere. There's no way to be a perfect mother. But there are a million ways to be a good one. How? By being consistent in the things that matter to Jesus. By being consistent in the things that matter to Jesus. You're going to mess up. There's going to be sick days. There's going to be hard days. There might even be what we would call bad days. [00:21:08] Speaker A: Right? [00:21:09] Speaker B: It's easy to feel like we aren't good enough as parents, as moms. That's very, very true. You aren't good enough. And God's design is completely perfect. Hear this, friends. God's design is perfect. We have to believe that we aren't good enough by ourselves. He designed us to be indwelt with his power, with his patience, with his love, with his gentleness, with his joy, with his peace, with his self control. And it's through the perfect design of us being indwelt with the spirit of God that we can be the person that he created us to be. Amen. It's through that creation. It's not I'm enough by myself. It's the design that God puts forth in creation to say, here's humanity designed to be filled with my spirit to make them successful in honoring me in the world. And even as we do that, there's another question that we need to answer. Is God working in us? Is that enough? Is that enough? The answer to that is yes. But sometimes we forget that, don't we? And that's point two on your outline. It's this. His character is enough or his presence is enough. His sufficiency is enough. God inside of us is enough. For me being the person that God designed me to be, it's Not Jesus, plus other things. Now, it's not to say the people of God, the community that God has put around you should be ignored, but it's realizing that I can trust in Him. There's three things that so often we can lose sight of, regardless of if you're a parent here or not. And it's this. We can forget that he is the one that knows all things, that knows all things that he is. There's three omni words I'm going to use. I'll tell you the first one. It's omniscient that he knows. And that's what you can write in point A.3A is this he knows. Well, I have to remember as a parent and as a follower of Jesus, he knows all the things. He is omniscient. We are not. And sometimes we try to step into that space. Now, as a parent and maybe some parents here in the room, you've read some parenting books. How many of you have read a parenting book in your life? All right, great. There are many parenting books out there aimed at helping you be a better parent. If you've read a reasonable amount of those books, as I have, hopefully some of you have as well, hoping to know more about how you can be a better parent. You have realized there are some really good ones out there, and there are some others that seem to be written by parents who have kids that are practically perfect in every way, to use Mary Poppins term. You read it, you're like, are your kids literally that good all the time? Or they're just on the cusp of being that good, and the person's like, writing their book or typing their book, writing their book. And, like, I did this one thing with my kid, and suddenly they were wonderful. You know, they're just right on the cusp of going from little hellions to little saints. You know what I'm talking about? That's all that it took was they wrote this book, the parents fit, figured it out, and then that's it. The reality is there's lots of people that have lots of information about parenting, about kids, about Mommy, but it's realizing this, that God is the one who designed them. And so when I'm struggling, when I'm uncertain, I look back at God's perfect design, say, how do I rely on Him? He knows. I remember the first time, the only time we were in the hospital with our first son and he was born. It's the next day they're finally going to let us go after we do all the paperwork. And they do all the tests and stuff. And like I said, first son, I had never cared for an infant in my life, ever. They didn't ask me if I had experience with an infant. They just handed me the baby. And they're like, see you later. I'm like, I have no idea what to do now. Luckily, God knew that moment would come. And because he knew that, he made, let's be honest, mostly moms, right? With the instincts to know how to care for this little child. And my wife did, because he's still alive today, I'm convinced that first year birthday party is not so much for the kid, it should be for the mom. Like, you did it year one. You got them, you kept them alive. God knew those days would come for millions of people over the course of life. And he said, I know that. And so I'm gonna instill in you all the things you need to know. I'm gonna design you in such a way to make sure you are just what your child needs. That happened for every single one of us here in this room. Secondly, this, we need to remember that he knows, and we can rely on Him. Secondly, it's this, we need to remember that he is strong. This is omniscient, is he knows omnipotent is strong. And we need to realize that we are not relying on his power to help us disciple and to parent children rightly and the people around us rightly. There are so many moving pieces, so many personalities, so many different things that can hurt them all over the place. We want to be strong enough to protect them from all of that as parents, as people that love others, because we're responsible to protect them, and rightfully so. It's also key for us to remember that he is almighty and we are not. And these children are loved by him too. I love what Colossians 1, 15, 17 says. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones and dominions and rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for Him. And listen to this last verse, very applicable here. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Now, if you've experienced mom life, you can feel like you're the one who holds all things together. You know what I'm talking about? I think that's why they have the phrase, if mama ain't happy, then nobody's happy. It's like this idea of, like, there's some power there's some significance there that she holds. Isaiah 41 says this. Listen to this. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. This is true for moms as well, for parents as well. Look at the last 13 on your outline. He is not only omniscient, he knows. He's not only omnipotent, that means he is strong. He's also omnipresent. He is watching. He is watching. He and we are not in every place, all the time. Did you know that half of the parents in America have apps on their phones to track their kids? Only half. Only half. I thought it'd be more. And how many of us here, even in the room, have cameras that you can check on your phone to see the things that are important to you? Or even like, baby monitors, cameras to watch the things that matter to you? Because we want to watch. We want to be aware of the things that are going on around us, particularly for the people that we care about. And we can have this sense even inside of us. And I think it's even really a godly aspect of wanting to watch the things that matter. It's a reflection even of the character and the power of God. Because God is always watching, right? And sometimes you're like, yeah. And sometimes like, oh, what does it mean as followers of Jesus to trust God's ability to see everything and know that he loves the people that we love and the things that we love more than we do? It doesn't mean this. Just to clarify, it doesn't mean maybe as a parent, it doesn't mean that we let our kids mess around in the garage by themselves. Because as the song goes, his eye is on the sparrow, so I know he's watching them. Not a good plan. Go watch them in the garage. It does mean this. Reminding yourselves that no matter what's going on, God has not left you to do it by yourself. It means that he's watching your home and your family, the people that you care for. Proverbs 53 on the screen. Sorry. 15, verse 3, says this. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the good and on the evil. So what do we do with that? It's this. When the house is messy, you're exhausted, the kids aren't listening, dinner's not ready, school isn't done, the laundry isn't folded, and the list kind of goes on and on and on. It's this, he sees that. He sees that, and his love persists. His love persists. So we've seen in points 2 and 3 or 1, the two main kind of points of the Enough on your outline is this. God designed us all, even moms here, to be filled with the Spirit. And that's what gets us through life. We're gonna feel limited. We're gonna compare ourselves with everything else. But really saying, trust in me, depend on me. Realize the limitations are there by design, so that dependence is demanded. Even secondly, God's character is enough. We can depend on him completely because he is completely strong. He is completely wise. He is completely present in all of these things. And when, not if, but when, we forget that he knows that he's strong and that he's watching. When we forget that and we start taking on the job of God. Any of you know what I'm talking about? Taking on the job of God, trying to fix all the things, to know all the things, and to watch all the things. We must remember this. God is a God of grace, calling you and I back to Himself. And that's the third thing you can write down in your outline. It's his grace is enough. His grace is enough. In periods of life that we live in, regardless of your mom or a dad or anybody else, the comparison culture is real, right? It's constant all around us, trying to measure yourself up to everything else around us, everyone else who seems to be doing better off than we are, realizing. I just can't seem to get ahead. And that's exhausting. Trying to constantly get ahead, trying to constantly do better. And here's Jesus invitation. If that's you today, he says this, come to me and find rest. Jesus invitation is simple. Come to me and find rest. But in order to experience the rest that Jesus desires for you and for me, regardless of where you are in the room today, most often repentance is required. It's I will stop trying to know everything. I will stop trying to hold everything together. I will stop trying to be everywhere at once and manage all the things by myself. Maybe it's this. I have relied too much on my own efforts to make my kids good, to keep them control of all the things to dictate their future. Or perhaps I've carried the guilt of not being able to control what happened to them. Experience God's grace this morning. Because God's grace says this. Write this down somewhere. God's grace says this. When you can't, I can. 2 Corinthians 12, 9 says this. And we'll just leave this on the screen for a minute. But he said to me, my grace. Paul speaking. My grace is sufficient for you. This is real for moms today, right now, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in what weakness? This grace summarizes the things we've talked about so well. Therefore, I will boast more gladly about my weaknesses. Why? So that Christ's power. I was designed to be limited. Christ's power in me gives me strength so that Christ's power may rest on me. Rest. There's that word again. And maybe you're regularly thinking today as you look back on your journey of parenting. There are so many things that I would have done differently. I'm only four years in and I can say that. And if that's the reality for you today, there's so many things that I would have done differently. Good, good. And remember this, especially as we've been journeying through the Old Testament, God uses messy, broken people who are imperfect but have a heart to honor Him. He redeems their mistakes and their sins and makes them into masterpieces and turns those people that they messed up with turns them into saints. God uses broken people. And so maybe moms here in the room today, God's grace abounds for you even as he looks at your struggles and at your hurts and your regrets and your failures. His grace isn't waiting out there somewhere for you to get things right. This is true for everybody in the room. Friends, he's not waiting out there somewhere. Get it right and then you'll experience my grace. Here's what he says. My grace is here now, ready for you to take it. It's a gift waiting for you. And so in summary of all the things that we just said, if you're one of those people, you're like, I just need to write something down. What do I do with all this? Write these three things down very simply. It's a continual practice. Here it is. One, keep rooting yourself in the Holy Spirit. Keep rooting yourself in the Spirit. And you can, you're like, I don't know what to do, what that looks like. Maybe it's a 10 second prayer. You're exhausted. Instead of flipping your phone open because you gotta, like, take a break. It's, I'm gonna close my eyes, I'm gonna pray for 10 seconds right now and ask God to give me his strength. It's rooting yourself in the Spirit. Secondly, it's remembering God's sufficiency. I'm not God. He is. And I'm going to give him the things that I can't control. So, rooting yourself in the spirit, remembering God's sufficiency. And thirdly, and lastly, it's this. Keep running to the grace of God. Keep running to the grace of God, because you can't do it by yourself. I can't do this thing called journeying with Jesus by myself. I'm not going to do it perfectly. And as it's Mother's Day, there's three things in conclusion. You can go to the next slide. There's three things in conclusion that I'll say, and then we'll close. This is true for everybody in the room. Moms, dads, sons, grandsons, kids, all of us. God is not a God who is far off, who is distant and waiting for you and I to get it right, to straighten up, to heal all of our own hurts and hangups, and then he'll love us. That's not God. That's not God. Just as a loving mother cares for her children who are straying away from him, hoping and praying that they come back, so it is with God and everyone in this room. If you have found yourself straying away from God, you're like, God's going to be mad at me. I got to get all these things cleaned up before I come back. He's like, no, you don't just come back. Just come back. Secondly, just as God's grace abounds for you and I here in this room, so does God's grace abound for your mom, who was imperfect, who made mistakes, or possibly who downright wronged you. God sees her, too. He loves her, too. And today, if possible, God might be calling you to courageously show your mom God's grace. And maybe you're not able to do that. Maybe for some reason, you're not able to do that. And I would encourage you, I would challenge you to go before the Lord and the Lord's people and ask him to help you experience healing for the work that you can't do in conversation with your mom anymore. Thirdly, and lastly again, for all of us in the room, where are you with God today? Are you running? Are you hiding? Are you hurting? Are you confused? No matter your past, God's grace is enough to cover you. Go to him. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we are so grateful that you're a God who sees us exactly how we are. Broken, messed up, confused, hurting, joyful. All of those things. You see us and you call us to yourself to experience the joy in you that we can only experience in you. Thank you for your spirit that you designed to fit inside of us, to be inside of us, to experience, literally your joy, to experience your peace, to experience your rest. So we rejoice in that today. For those here in the room who have never submitted to you, who have never realized and confessed their own sin, and you as their savior, Lord, I pray that today, right now, they would do that and run back to you, no matter what baggage they might have. They would take that before you. Take that before the cross, experience the healing that only you can offer. I thank you for all the moms in the room here today who are not able to be here. Lord, I pray a special blessing over every one of them. You would help them to deeply and personally and powerfully experience your profound love, your profound grace in their life, your profound encouragement in their life, for the work that you've called them to. For all of us here today, we're grateful for your incredible love for us. In Jesus name, amen.