Sister,
Have you ever dropped your kids off on the first day of school and after the door slams shut you burst into tears because “that shit (summer) was hard”?
Maybe you had a great summer. Maybe you took advantage of the flying time with your kids? Maybe you played a lot of games and created a ton of fun things to do? If you did, I am seriously so proud of you and we should be friends because I need moms like you in my life, to make me better.
I planned one trip. One. It was an awesome trip but that was it and kids made sure I knew it. I had grand ideas of what our days would look like this summer (before it started) but I never executed. My kids watched a ton of YouTube (aka: Satan’s playground) and TikTok (aka: Satan’s Dollywood). There were just so many dishes, and breakfasts, and lunches, and dinners, and laundry and crumbs to sweep, and fires to put out… I was just surviving.
Listen, there were good moments, but I’ve come away from this summer with regret and shame. I could have done more. I should have been more intentional. It’s a war out there in public schools, I needed to build my kids faith muscles up during this time. The Holy Spirit prompted me to act and I just didn’t. I just didn’t. Man, I hate admitting that.
If you feel a little like me after this summer, I want you to know you are not alone and you are not a bad mom or a bad Christian mom. You are human. The good news is that our God is not human, and he is very patient and gentle with us. He fills in the (inevitable) gaps that we leave in the hearts of our children.
Mercies are new every morning, so since it’s a new day and we have a few minutes to breath in our homes, alone, let’s repent, regroup, and do like Paul says to in Philippians 3:13…No brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
I hope this encourages you.
Sincerely,
Jesie Browning
*A few great books to get to help you talk to your kids about Jesus…
“Talking with your kids about Jesus” – Natasha Crain
“Talking with your kids about God”- Natasha Crain
Dear Sister, 