Sometimes I think I have it all together.  Then everything seems to fall apart.  These past few days have been more along the lines of everything falling apart.  On Friday, I reached a point of laying on the ground crying and saying "Lord, I can't do this.  I am so incapable of being a good mom!"  This came after a complete meltdown by all three of my daughters lasting for over an hour.  A result of allowing my children to become overtired and overstimulated.  Not what I would consider good mom points!

So, here I am looking at my last post; remembering all I have been learning; continuing to seek the Lord daily; and this is what happens.  It is such a reminder of how much I need the Lord and how completely inadequate I am on my own. This is why we need grace and why Christ came to die for us.

2 Corinthians 12:9:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why for Christ's sake I delight all the more in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My weaknesses are so abundant. I see them in all areas of my life and most vividly in my abilities as a mom.  I so often fail to be the mom I read about and strive to be.  Yet, here is the Lord telling me that his power is made perfect in all of those weaknesses - including my weaknesses as a mom!
Does this mean that we do not continue to strive for excellence and obedience?  By no means. But grace is ever abundant and sufficient for whatever situation we are going through.  Let Christ be strong when we blow it.  Thank Him that it is not by our might that we are saved or even that our children are saved, but it is by His strength and power that we and our children are saved!!  Praise be to our God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us!  It is through His power that our children come to know Him and this power is at work within us.  It is taking us, along with all of faults, weaknesses, and inadequacies and using all that we are for His good.

Lord, let your power be at work in us today.  In our areas of weakness, be strong.  Let our children know you and enable us to raise them pointing to you.  Use our weaknesses to show your strength. Then, do the work in bringing them to salvation and deep relationship with you.  Thank you Lord!  Amen.