Winter 2019

Hello, Tired Mom!

BY HANNAH KRATZER

You are now well into the school year, the new

books are looking tired and that 5th cup of coffee no

longer makes a dent on your exhaustion. The sweet

angels that you love and are dedicated to teaching

are missing their halos and tired of your carefully

planned schedule. Determined to go on strong and

motivate yourselves and your children, you hunt

down the next great book, research new activities,

reconfigure the schedule so it works more effectively.

Day after day, you responsibly have a quiet time, bask-

ing in the knowledge that all answers are in God’s

Word. As you find the perfect verses to memorize and

apply, you understand the fact that you are using all

the right tools to raise your children. These are all good

things, but why at times do you feel as if you are going

in circles?

Why the feeling of striving without result? Friends,

it is because you and I are striving. Merriam Webster

defines striving as ‘to devote serious effort or energy,

endeavor’. Our striving often gets in the way of us fol-

lowing the prompting of our loving Father. God does

not say, ‘Come to me, all you who are trying hard

enough’. NO! He lovingly reaches out His hand, say-

ing, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy

laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28) Jesus

then goes further to tell us to take up His yoke. A yoke

is a partnership, a pulling together. Our loving Father

doesn’t delight in our floundering, He is waiting for us

to walk in step with Him. Striving has no place in our

relationship with God. Save your striving for cleaning

the house!

On the most frustrating days, if you will constantly, in

spite of yourself, rely completely on God for wisdom in

each and every moment, you will find the source that

ends the striving. Remember, we can come boldly to

the Throne of Grace, to find help in our time of need.

(Hebrews 4:16) Let Scripture be more than a roadmap,

let it transform your heart. “Pray without ceasing.” (1

Thess. 5:17) Ask the Lord for His prompting and lead-

ing in your day. Make it a habit to abide in Him, and

then watch the deeper spiritual transformations begin

to happen in your family’s hearts.

Hannah and her husband, Scott, homeschool four little blond daughters and serve

as coordinators for the annual Homeschool Iowa Conference Children’s Program.

Hannah blogs on herWordPress site, This Blissful Chaos