Knowing When to Talk

​Well here we go​...Hang on! I have 6 children, that’s right, 6! Three girls and three boys​, in that actual order ranging in age from 6 to​ 17. My youngest is a first grader​, and my oldest is a Senior in High School! Be still my soul! I like to say we live a rich ​life! It is full of ​drama, adventure, comedy, and every emotion you can think of. I was pregnant for about 10 years straight and I remember the days of newborns and changing diapers in a complete blur. Early on, I chose to take the advice of experienced mom friends who told me to “live in each day” and literally embrace the chaos and mess! As my children have gotten older, and I now have 4 teenagers, I’m still trying to embrace it all, but my need for Jesus and complete reliance ​o​n Him has deepened.​ Where it used to be me saying, "God I need Your help because I haven't slept in 48 hours and nobody has any clean underwear," it's now me begging God for wisdom, understanding, grace, and mercy as my Husband and I try to navigate deep heart issues. 

"Don’t Turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you,

Love her, and she will guard you.” 

​ Proverbs 4:6

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.

He will not rebuke you for asking."

James 1:5

As kids get older, the talks get deeper and what was once silly chatter is now ​life-defining​, monumental conversations. It is so tempting to preach and lecture at every opportunity​, but I have had to stop myself and just listen. It’s so hard to know when ​to deliver wise counsel and when to wait! This is probably my biggest struggle in this season of life. Suddenly, I’m the experienced one who has gone through all the same circumstances I hear my teenager talking about, and I have all the ​w​ise ​outcomes to their problems that will clearly make their lives easier, but I see my lecture just pushing them away! I have to ask God to literally guide my timing and my words and how many of them come out of my mouth! I need God’s wisdom to recognize that it is His grace to me that my kid’s character flaws and sin are revealed to me, so that instead of immediately preaching, I intercede in prayer for them. I pray that they would ultimately recognize their own deep need for Jesus. I pray that they would love Jesus more than anything this world has to offer them. It can be heart wrenching, but​ it's a crisis of belief moment to​ choose to trust Him and relinquish my false sense of control! 

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 

Prayer Points:

• Thank You, God, for these kids that You have blessed me with.

• God, I need Your Wisdom, not the wisdom of this world.

• Remind me that no matter how much I worry, I am not in control…You Are!

• God show me when to talk and when to be silent and just trust.

God, Thank You for Your new mercies every morning! Thank You for Your everlasting faithfulness to me. You have a plan and a purpose for my kids just like You have a plan and a purpose for me. Help me to parent, not out of fear, but out of obedience to You. I pray that my reliance on You would reveal my trust in You to my kids. I want them to follow hard after You all the days of their lives and to trust You. Please give them glimpses of the purpose You have for their lives and help them to walk boldly in that. I pray for all the moms reading this now that our desire for You would be paramount in our lives and that we would love You Jesus more than anything this world has to offer us.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Brandi Loch

Mid-Way Baptist Church

Flourish Women's Ministry

www.mid-way.com/women