By DR. LATESHA W. THOMAS
God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV
Motherhood is one of the beloved dreams most women desire. Many hours are spent imagining a picture-perfect life as a mother — hoping for the opportunity to carry life, to give life, and to guide a precious life into adulthood. But is there really such a thing as a picture-perfect life as a mother?
The ideal of motherhood may be a perfect picture, yet the reality of motherhood is more of an abstract creation. It is more like the journey of an artist than that of a scientist, with blazing seasons of drought or days that can change from sunshine to rain as quickly as lightning in a storm. True to the style of an artist, the picture of motherhood is one that can tell a depth of stories.
As a teenager, I came to love abstract art. It was a place where I could create whatever I wanted, and it was still art. I could take a perfect photo and make it whatever my heart imagined it to be. Today, as a mother of two, there are times when I wish I could pick up a paintbrush and create a picture of perfection in my relationship with my children; however, life doesn’t afford me that luxury. Instead, as a Christian believer, I have found that God has given us mothers the tools we need to succeed in every season and in every good work.
The tools God gives us as mothers include prayer. It is in my time of prayer that I am drawn to God, our Heavenly Father, for His comfort, which I find as I pour out my heart’s concerns; I feel the warmth of His power rejuvenate me. God also provides the tools of knowledge, understanding and wisdom as I enjoy reading His words. He reveals His truths in ways that help me navigate situations with my children that I can’t seem to handle on my own.
God knows what we need. As we seek Him and honor Him, there are blessings that open in our lives. God — the Creator of the greatest art, the world — provides opportunities to walk out His words in obedience to Him before my children so that they too can learn of His goodness and the importance of following Him. Even when the picture presented isn’t a perfect one, on my part or my children’s.
I have come to trust in the Lord God with all my heart because He shows me the direction to go when my heart is overcome with fear of the unknown. I take heart in remembering God knows how to knit things together when our family disagrees, and when our hearts begin breaking due to misunderstanding. It is our God — our matchless Creator – who, true to His Word in 2 Corinthians 9:8, is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Dr. LaTesha W. Thomas is owner and operator of PACE Synervations LLC, which is a private counseling, Christian life coaching and consulting practice; and she works as a full-time social worker with the Mississippi State Department of Health. LaTesha can be found at facebook.com/latesha.thomas.9; on her business Facebook page, PACE Synervations Counseling, Coaching & Consulting; and on YouTube and Instagram as LaTesha W.Thomas. You may also email her at info@pacesynervations.com.
