Build-a-Bear se voet:)

I've been reflecting on our time together this last Saturday, decorating and clothing teddy bears. I started thinking about Build-a-bear. For those of you who don't know about it, Build-a-bear makes teddy bears, gives it a heart(literally) and then you can custom make it, with all sorts of accessories which costs a fortune. Lovely idea but costs the earth. So we kind of did a build-a-bear thing this last Saturday. Only difference is, some of the little ones, put THEIR hearts into it, to such an extent, that it was pretty sad for them to say goodbye to their bears. Some tears were shed. They put THEIR creativity, THEIR ribbons and buttons and masks, THEIR time, THEIR ideas into it. It came at a cost. This time, we didn't give away used toys. Toys they've gotten bored of. They didn't give away used clothes, clothes they've grown out of. They didn't give away tinned food, food their mommies bought. They gave away something of themselves. It was sacrificial, compassionate and kind...but it was hard. I think for the first time, we got it. All of us. We gave of ourselves. We had to dig a little deeper. I'm not calling myself to ascetism. I'm not wanting to put my children through trauma for the sake of making a point on serving the poor. I'm calling us all to think about our giving. Am I doing this Kids for Justice as another tick in the box of a fun activity, which has a spin-off of giving to the poor? Am I giving away my kids clothes, because it clutters up my space and has reached its usefulness in their lives? Or am i giving something away because, it's good quality, even new, still useful to me, but i don't need it as much? I'm speaking of myself here. my reflections. I'm also not discrediting the things we have given away, but rather re-examinng the motives and reasons behind it. Am I putting my HEART into it? Maurietta Stewart(still learning)

Rubbing shoulders

It's one thing to demonstrate our values to our children. They see how we choose compassion instead of ignoring the beggar at the traffic light. We find ways to include them in our acts of generosity, encouraging them to give rather than always take, always focus on getting. As we explore how to build friendships across cultural and economic barriers, our kids experience that it is OK to have friends that are different. Sometimes we might even share with them our pain at the brokenness in our country, our anger that the unfair ways that many are treated. Our kids can't help but taste, see and feel what is in our hearts.

It is another thing to share all of this with the other moms with whom we rub shoulders at play groups, moms groups, whilst waiting to fetch our kids from school or as we chat at a playdate intiated by our children. Some of these moms have the same faith as us, others not. Some of these moms are caught up in the culture of materialism, status and performance. This is not surprising given that the suburbs where we live are stewing in the values of "having the most stylish house" and "wearing the trendiest clothes" and "going to the right schools" and "having that holiday home" and and and.

So do we just keep our heads down and try to get through these encounters moms who value different things to us; or are these opportunities for the Kingdom. Are these moments where we can shine the light of passion for justice and restoration and compassion? Of course we long to be real and authentic. We desire to have integrity, not hiding parts of our selves that might be different. But  know that when we share our hearts for social justice it may not be understood, and it may not be well received. We know that the light of social justice shines on how we spend our money, how we give and how much, how we treat those working for us in our homes, how we view those who are different, how we view those who are poorer, and many other life choices. We know that these issues provoke a strong response, they are not nuetral, polite conversation fillers. People get offended, not wanting to change, angry at the guilt that might rise in their hearts. They may not want to hang out with us again. They may not want their kids to play with our kids. Yet other people will be convicted, just like we have, and start looking at how to live life differently, they will be drawn to the hope we have that God's kingdom is advancing to bring hope to the hopeless and freedom for the captives.

So I encourage you moms, to rest in the Holy Spirit, to receive love and affirmation in your Father's arms so that you can shine your life, your passion, your views, your life-changing decisions as you rub shoulders with other moms. That you will be your whole self - not just the part of your self that won't offend or be controversial. That you will speak truth in love. That your words would be salt and light and like a double-edge sword. That your heart will never judge, but always love. And that God will use us to share his heart for reconcilitation and restoration of this nation with the mothers that we encounter in our every day lives.

Constant Companion

One mother shared how she had to find a new way of connecting with Jesus during the dark days of her post-natal depression. In these emotionally strained months she had very little energy to carve out time for the classic devotion time. She started chatting to Jesus, throughout the day, not in a formal way, but comfortable - just as you would a friend. Her life is busy, and she shares honestly that it is not as though she does not live in God's presence every minute, but she is growing in this discipline of being conscious of God's companionship throughout the day. It is brings her life. She has also started inviting her children into her chats with God. Driving to school in the morning she moves easily from conversing with them about their day, to praying with them about the day.



"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." Matthew 1: 23



Immanuel - God With Us



Every moment

Desperate

I have been surprised by how often I have met with Jesus in the times when I have been desperate. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12 v 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in 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 in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Ok I can't honestly say that I have delighted in hardships as Paul does. But I have definitely found that if I don't rush to move away from that desperate feeling, but let it sit with me, and bring it to Jesus; then He meets with me in beautiful ways. It may be exasperation at not being able to figure out how to respond to my child's behaviour or need; or compassion and helplessness at seeing poverty around our city; or sorrow for the hard times a friend is facing. All these situations make me desperate. I have a choice, to rush on into all the tasks for the day, to pretend that I am not moved by these issues because they are too much for me; or I can just let the desperation be my companion for a while - even as I am hanging the washing or driving go fetch my child from school. And invite the Holy Spirit into that place of desperation - birthing in me a prayer, an idea, an SMS, a response, a worship song, or something else that affirms that I am connecting with the Father's heart.

Jim Cymbala in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Power (page 19) writes: 'God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact makes room for more of His power.'

So I encourage you, the next time you feel desperate, don't run from this uncomfortable feeling or drown it out too quickly with a cup of tea or coffee. Bring it to Jesus in the stillness of your heart, even whilst you are chasing your 3 year old around the garden or whilst changing that nappy. You'll be surprised at how He will respond in the midst of the joyous chaos of life.

New Ways

Having a new born baby in the house, or an active toddler causing glorious chaos changes they way we do things. There are just somethings that are no longer possible - from how much sleep we can get, to leaving beautiful, decorative glass vases out on coffee tables. So too with our spiritual journey, when we kids arrive with new time-tables and demands, some spiritual disciplines become less possible. Some of the ways that were very helpful in our pre-kid days in connecting us to Jesus are no longer working. That morning quiet time is now tortorous after a night of broken sleep. Having long coversations with church friends after the service now consists of a few hellos as one chases that busy toddler around.

Some of us realised that we have been using our pre-kid-day standards of spirituality to assess our current intimacy with God. And this results in guilt and a sense of failure. But God is not limited to using a couple of ways or disciplines to build His relationship with us. He is so passionate about keeping His daughters close to His heart and has lots of creative ways of doing so. We need to let go of doing Jesus the old way, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into new, "mother-friendly" ways of enjoying our Father's presence, and being filled up with His word and Spirit. Watch this space as we share some of the more "mother friendly" ways we have found helpful in keeping us intimate with Jesus.

Jesus, our Centre and our Source

How can we sow seeds of social justice in our kids lives so that as they they grow up these seeds will sprout into hearts of compassion, eyes that look at the world as Jesus does, and mouths that speak out against oppression or injustice. So that our children will be hope- and life-bringers to all who know them and that they might be used by God to bring His kingdom of freedom, life and restoration to our nation and continent?

It is never going to happen in our own strength.

In our own strength we might teach truths that become burdens of guilt, we might shine a light on poverty in a way that crushes their tender spirits, we might overwhelm them with the worlds problems so that they withdraw completely into the selfish, safe space of just-focusing-on-me, or we may turn into irritating, nagging mothers where "bringing transformation" becomes reduced to a chore, something to tick off a list so that we appease mom.

What we seek to birth in our children is impossible without Jesus. As mothers we cannot inspire our children without Jesus being at our Centre and without him being our Source. 

But how do we make space for Jesus to be our Centre when there are a million mom-things clamouring for our time, energy and attention? This is what we chatted through at our most recent gathering, and will continue at our next. Watch this space as I post some interesting observations, thoughts and helpful hints from some  inspiring, but totally down-to-earth moms.

Dangling our feet in the water

We haven't stopped walking upstream. But sometimes this business of being a mother means that you have to sit on the side of the river with your kids, dangling your feet in the water, and just focus on them for a while. And so we haven't met as moms for a few months, but tonight we finally gathered. And instead for forging ahead, we too sat alongside the river to keep to the river metaphor. This time with a cup of tea in our hands and a bowl of yummy biscuits to share, and had a good catch up chat. Watch this space next month as we reflect on the fact that God is the source and the centre as we raise our children with hearts for social justice.