“Are you there God? It’s me Margaret.“ Do you remember that book? It talked about a girl in the time of her awakening as a young woman, a pivotal time in her life where she was changing: mind, body and soul.

From the time we are young women, we are changing. Our bodies are developing, our minds are expanding, and we’re coming into the women we will be. We sometimes forget that we are always growing–changing even.

I changed most when I became a mother. Sure, all the hormones are in question, and you’ve brought forth this little miracle of God into the world, and suddenly you are entrusted with another soul. The days become endless. Time is now dictated by this beautiful nine-pound human, and before we know it, we’ve lost ourselves and our once-dear priorities that made us, well, us.

Bringing a baby into the world and becoming a mother is one of life’s greatest miracles, yet somehow we moms manage to place ourselves last on the list. For some of us, that personal time we so quickly relinquish is time with our Creator, the One who made this miracle possible. Late one sleepless night,  I looked at my Bible on the bookshelf and wondered about the last time I had opened it. In my sleepless haze, I remembered the title of that book, “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret.” Except it was me this time, asking if He was there. I felt so disconnected. I wondered when I would be able to sit in church and listen.

But here’s the deal. It’s not about the time that we used to have pre-child. It’s about the time we have now. Time exists infinitely; therefore, we create the space to allow time into our lives as mothers. We need to stop expecting our time with God to look just like it did before children.

How does that time look? Well, I have five suggestions for you.

Wake up with prayer, gratitude, and praise

Make it part of your request that God gives you the understanding and depth you desire, and He will make it so. His word even says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:22). We serve an understanding Father;He knows what sacrifices we mothers make–even when that includes time.

A few minutes in the Word is better than nothing

Instead of the 1 hour deep study you may have gotten pre-baby, accept the chapter or two per evening (or a few verses!). Don’t be so hard on yourself! I’m preaching to the choir. Right when the kids fall asleep, open up your Bible. Find your favorite verse and meditate on that.

Get an app that has devotions built in

You can set alarms to the times that work best for you (nap times, early mornings, later in the evenings, etc). My personal favorite is First Five.

Podcasts

Podcasts are my thing right now. Find a great, spiritually uplifting podcast that you can listen to on the way to or from work. Hey, some of them are 20 minutes! Take a bath and pop in your earbuds. My personal favs right now are Focus on the Family-Parenthood and Risen Motherhood. They’re both helpful in the parenting sector, but also very uplifting.

Prayer is essential

Remember, prayer is a conversation with our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly. Simply ask Him to guide your intentions for your children. Ask Him to help you be the mother He wants you to be so you can lead them back to Him.

There are many facets of our lives that can draw our attention away from the Lord, but finding Christ in motherhood is essential to raising children in the world today. Many times we can overcomplicate the idea of having a relationship with Jesus Christ when really He makes it so simple. He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This is especially true when mothering tiny humans. If you think about it, we mothers need Him more now than ever! Our patience is tested daily (and sometimes nightly) depending on where you are in the season of motherhood. We need the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). We need the Lord, and our children need to see us leaning on Him in all things.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! My name is Giana V. I’m a wife, a mama, and a high education professional. I live in sunny Southern California just outside of Los Angeles. I have a passion for holistic health, writing, and learning how I can live my best and healthiest life filled with love and joy while helping others do the same.