When fear creeps through unseen fractures of the soul, we are unprepared and oftentimes, unaware. It is not until a tidal wave of fear can be seen approaching our floating driftwood self that we are left helpless to escape its power.

We carry these fears into motherhood.

These scars and battle wounds become a part of us.

Instead of healing our fearful soul, we gather more upon more.

It is easier to turn a blind eye to the fear, let it settle in softly upon us, rather than do the work of removing it all for good. For when we ignore it, refusing to look in the mirror eye to eye with our real self, we are paving a worn-down path of fear for generations to come.

Just as a young child heads out to her favorite spot in the forest day after day. The path that she travels often, allows the tall grass to be trampled down and familiar.  It is easy the next day to follow that same path because she’s been there day after day. There is no more tall grass to brush away from her face, nor tree branches to climb over.  Slowly, day after day, she has shown her fearful soul where to go.

What path is your heart traveling often, Mama?

What fears have you allowed to softly land on your heart and mind, day after day?

Have you found that the days have become overwhelming like a tidal wave approaching?

Are you feeling left helpless and alone?

It’s time to look in the mirror, eye to eye with your true self.

Those fears and insecurities that you’ve been carrying? They spill out to your children and in the little ways you mother them. 

Get alone with the Lord and ask Him to reveal to you some ways that you may be mothering out of fear instead of freedom.

Lord, search us and try us as mothers.  We don’t want to bring our weighed down, fearful souls into motherhood. We want to mother out of freedom and a light heart.  Thank you, Jesus.

Some ways we mother out of fear:

• We walk on eggshells avoiding our children’s disruptive behaviors
• We let our children dictate and rule the home
• We fear our children’s bad behavior in public, so we choose to pacify the situation
• We control them too much out of fear that they will go astray
• We want our children to be successful because it makes us look good
• We prevent pain and injure the opportunity for growth in our kids
• We are afraid of how we look to other parents
• We rescue our children instead of letting them fly
• We are scared that our children will turn out like _________
• We raise our children with intimidation instead of love
• We instill an unhealthy balance of rules vs grace
• We remove the gospel from our parenting and live by the law

Are any of these examples familiar to you?

How can you and I change today?

We don’t have to keep piling the fear softly onto our heart, mind, and soul.  Refusing to deal with our own fear spills onto our children.  Let’s be mothers that walk in freedom, not fear! Let’s do the work today, so that generations to come will be blessed!