Encouragement for Moms of Young Adults
By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:4
Dear Friends,
One of the gifts of the Daily Treasure Devotional for me is the spiritual refreshment I receive from our guest writers. Christina Fox is one of those women whose writing encourages me because she regularly addresses how our theology impacts everyday life. Christina is no stranger to MARKINC — she has been a guest on the Help & Hope podcast and previously written for Daily Treasure. Through her writing, she invites us into her life as she herself has learned the hard lessons and joys of parenting young children. Christina is not only a mother, but she is a retreat speaker, content editor for enCourage, and the author of multiple books, including Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish, Idols of a Mother's Heart, and Like Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why that Matters for Our Parenting. Knowing how busy she is, I was excited when she said yes to sharing some of the challenges of raising young adults and learning how to navigate “letting them go” while still parenting on a whole new pathway. Each day this week, Christina showcases a specific parenting struggle: A Mother’s Fears, When Seasons Change, A Mother’s Prayers, Let Go for Good, Listen More, Talk Less, and God’s Grace for Moms.
She starts the week by describing an apology to her adult son and closes the week by admitting another apology. She writes:
“Since my apology to my son that I mentioned in day one’s devotional, I’ve had to apologize again. I’m not surprised about this, given that I am a work in progress. Each time I think I’ve arrived at a point in my motherhood journey that I feel some level of confidence in what I am doing, things change again. These moments remind me anew of my desperate need for God’s unending grace.
That’s really what we need, isn’t it? Parenting adult children well is not something we can do out of our own ability. No matter how much resolve we may muster up, we’ll still stumble and fall. No matter how good our motives are or how deep our love for our children is, we will fail them, disappoint them, and struggle to adjust to changes in our relationships with them. That’s why we need help from outside ourselves.” (Christina Fox, Daily Treasure)
Throughout this week, Christina identifies some of the root causes of our parenting challenges: fear and loss of control. But she doesn’t leave us hopeless as she continues in her closing remarks:
All That We Need — But there’s good news! 2 Peter tells us that God has “granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” All things. John Calvin describes this “all things” as “God has copiously unfolded the immense resources of his power.” The Greek word used for ‘granted’ means to “bestow gratuitously.” God freely, graciously, and abundantly gives us everything we need to live out the call God has given us as mothers of adult children. He calls us to this next season of motherhood and then equips us for it. (Christina Fox, Daily Treasure)
Friends, whether you are preparing young adult children to leave your cozy nest or just beginning this sometimes chaotic, fearful, and yet precious gift from God of parenting, Christina’s biblical perspective will help cultivate peace and rest in your heart as you choose to depend on the Lord and His promise to “bestow gratuitously” everything you need to live out the call God has given to you.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Throughout Scripture, the Lord shows how those ahead of us in life’s journey can leave “puddles of grace” for those who come after them. Each of our Daily Treasure guest writers is filling those puddles of grace with reflections from their own lives and how Scripture shapes their worldview. You have the same opportunity to pour the help and hope of Jesus into the lives of others. If you’re not sure where to start, encourage friends to check out Daily Treasure! Tell them how God uses these devotionals to help you start your day and to remind you of His presence and grace!
PRAYER
Father, thank You for those who are ahead of us in life’s journey, who show us, by the way they respond to challenges or in the mundane moments of life, their love for Jesus. Amen.
Are there other women in your life who could benefit from a daily dose of encouragement? Forward this email so they can click on this link to Subscribe to Daily Treasure to be better equipped to walk by faith on the pathway God has marked out for them.
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.
