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Mother's Faith by Mrs. Sharon White
Essays, Lamentations, and Encouragement
From a Christian Mother of Waywards |
I ordered
Mrs. Sharon White's
book,
Mother's Faith, quite some time ago, read a few entries, then laid it aside in my 'books to read' pile.
The past year and a half has been extremely difficult for our family in many ways, but dealing with a wayward child has been the most difficult and painful of all experiences thus far for me as a mother to deal with. We didn't go through 98% of the stuff with our older children that we have gone through with our youngest. I now know, in part, what I must have put my own mother through and I am sorry. I wish I could tell her so.
In many ways I blame myself for many of the things that have happened. I have fallen so terribly short of all that God has created me to do and be, and have fallen into all sorts of attitudes and actions that are 100% diametrically opposed to all that I want, and am created, to be. There have been bad days, terrible days, unbearable days, and days that I honestly thought that it would be better to for me to leave than subject my family to the woman that has surfaced in the face of adversity.
BUT...the other evening I was going through some things and there was
Mother's Faith. I picked it up and thought, "How timely!" I flipped through the pages and, even though I remembered reading a couple of the first entries before, I began that very moment at the beginning and ended up reading half the book that evening and the other half last night. There was more help packed into that little book than in all the things that I've read in the last year put together!
First of all, I realized that, as a mother, I am not alone in what I've been going through with my child.
Mrs. White touched on the very things that I struggle with on a daily basis...a heart that is constantly breaking, weeping more and more, being paralyzed by sorrow, carrying a burden that is too heavy for a mother to bear alone, and encouraged me to take it to, and leave it, with God.
Mrs. White reminded me of what I, way too often forget and that is...no matter what our troubles are...no matter what Goliaths we face...or trials that our children face
..."...the battle is the Lord's..." (1 Samuel 17:47).
And, painful as it may be,
Mrs. White made me fully aware of something that, as a mother, I'm sure none of us want to acknowledge, but must, especially if we are going to get to a place of true intercession on their behalf. My child is a sinner. Every person born is born with a sin nature and my child, like myself, will battle against that sin nature each and every day for the rest of his life. It will cause him a great deal of pain and suffering and, as his mother, it will hurt me, too.
Yet, in the midst of it all, through the pages of her
book,
Mrs. White offered me good, sound, and practical ways to deal with all of it in a godly manner. Not only as to how to deal with the wayward child, but how to deal with myself as his mother.
If you are the mother of an older child or children, I would highly recommend reading this wonderful little
book by
Mrs. Sharon White.
The back cover of the book says...
"A little book of hope for the difficult years of Mothering older children.
A collection of essays from a homeschooling mother of five, who has suffered through heartbreak and worry over her teenagers and young adults.
Here you will find encouragement, hope, and support in your efforts at raising a godly generation in this difficult world.
From "Sitting Alone at the Kitchen Table," to "How a Godly Mother May Guide an Imperfect Family" in 13 steps, you will read about real life and the source of real happiness while waiting for your children to grow in the Lord.
This small book will inspire courage for the weary mother.
Forget about harsh ideas when dealing with teenagers. We need mothers who will guide their children with holy love and patience."
For more information about this
book and more from
Mrs. White, visit her
blog,
The Legacy of Home, by clicking...
HERE.
