The following are some beautiful thoughts to encourage you from MIKAYLA KNADLE.
Where are you dwelling, dear mother? We are always dwelling somewhere, on something. Are you dwelling in your frustration and weariness? Are you dwelling in the opinions of others? Perhaps you are dwelling on comparisons and your shortcomings. I was.
As I rocked in the dark with my sleepless little baby, I cried in exhaustion, frustrated by my inability. “I should have this figured out and be able to mother as well as ‘she’ does,” I thought. “There has to be a right way to do this, how do I know what is best?” I was bogged down by the weight of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. Lines of contradictory mothering advice and mantras played over and over in my head, overwhelming and far from helping me in the middle of the night.
“God, what am I to do? Can’t you make this clear? Simple?”
How thankful I am that our Father God cares for us and hears the woes of our weary and immature hearts. He revealed Himself through His Word in Psalm 84 which begins: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord . . . Amen!
But the next verse I had somehow never taken note of before: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.” Incredible. This Psalm is for mothers! Through it, God was telling me: “Make your nest, love your young ones, and MOTHER IN MY PRESENCE. REST HERE, NEAR MY ALTAR. MAKE YOUR DWELLING IN ME.”
In Old Testament times, the altar was the place of sacrifice and atonement for sin. This certainly is representative of our need to lay ourselves down and submit our lives to God, and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ that covers our homes.
Motherhood is sacrificial love. Yet I think there is another significance to the altar. For the majority of Israelites in those days, the altar was the closest that they could get to God’s holy presence. Only the High Priest could be cleansed to go beyond into the Holy of Holies. The psalmist so desired God’s presence that he noted the humble little birds who also desired the presence of God, even to the point of making their very home at His altar. In that place they found safety, rest, peace, and provision.
Our hearts too can be so desirous of the Living God that we seek to center our entire existence on Him, seeking His presence. The amazing truth for us today is that we, unlike the early Israelites, are part of His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)! We, by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25) and the washing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6) can enter his very presence daily. We can truly dwell in His holy presence and make our homes a dwelling place for Him. How do we do this? Psalm 84 and other scriptures describe how:
We dwell in him when we put Him first, recognizing that he is desirable before all else (Psalm 84:10).
We dwell in him when we behold his unveiled glory (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).
We dwell in him by continually praising him, and praise is a natural response to our awareness of his presence (Psalm 84:4).
We dwell in Him and he in us when we draw on his strength (Psalm 84:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9) and put our total trust in him (Psalm 84:12).
We dwell in him when we pray throughout our day (Ps 84:8-9).
This mothering journey is about Him. It always has been, just like every aspect of life. Meditating on this Scripture has changed the way that I approach my days, taking the focus off of myself and the details and putting it on our worthy God.
Has mothering become easier? Certainly not, but he is teaching me to rest in him, just like those little birds, as a Psalm 84 mother. He is showing me the glory of his presence in my home as I dwell in him and share his Spirit with my children and my husband.
Often, I must evaluate, as I encourage you also to do, asking “Where will I dwell today?” or rather, “On whom will I dwell?” May it always be Him, and His dwelling always be mine.
MIKAYLA DEWING
Picture: Garrett and Mikayla with their children: Conrad (18 months) and Daisy Jane (4 months).