You are Stronger Than You Think

​My husband Tommy and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this month. Time truly does go by so quickly! We have four children, ages 32 to 22, and three grandchildren ranging from 3 years to just 2 months old. Spending time with my grandchildren often takes me back to when my own kids were little.

I remember those long days and sleepless nights so clearly! Tommy worked 24-hour shifts as a firefighter during the time we were raising our children, so I had to learn very quickly how to adjust to motherhood. Adjusting to my new routine as a mom didn’t seem too difficult after our first baby was born. But with the birth of each new baby, learning to handle the added responsibilities became more challenging. And as the children grew, the responsibilities also grew!

After our fourth child was born, I remember feeling very overwhelmed and unsure how I could keep up with the day-to-day tasks of caring for our 4 children, as well as my other

responsibilities of taking care of our home, meals, helping with homework, carpool and all the things! There never seemed to be enough hours in the day, and I had put a lot of pressure on myself to manage everything well.

I remember talking to one of my friends at church one Sunday morning and telling her I wasn’t doing any part of motherhood well. I was upset, overwhelmed, exhausted and almost defeated. I felt like I was just going through the motions many days. My friend gave me great, encouraging advice that I still remember today. She said, “God knows the season you’re in, and He’ll give you the strength you need each day.”

That short conversation changed my perspective on motherhood. It was then that I realized I was trying to do everything on my own and I wasn’t relying on the Lord for the daily help I needed. I wasn’t even asking Him for it! I knew if I continued to depend on my own strength, I would always feel defeated. It was an eye-opening moment where I realized I was stronger than I thought, because God would give me all the strength I needed.  

After that brief conversation, I memorized Lamentations 3:22-24 and applied it to my life as a mom. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; Therefore I will hope in Him.” These verses gave me hope when I felt weak and inadequate, knowing that God would refresh me every day and sustain me through any challenges I faced as a mom. By mediating on these verses, I learned that God wouldn’t give me the strength I needed to carry me through the many years of motherhood all at once. Instead, He would refresh me every morning with new mercies.

During this time, I began to pray specifically that God would help me to be a good mom. I

wanted to have the strength I needed to care for my children, the energy and patience I needed to keep up, and the wisdom to be a godly mom and raise them in a way that would be pleasing to Him. I also began to memorize scripture every week that grew my faith and strengthened my heart. Some of my favorites are:

Psalms 127:3

"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him."

Psalms 18:32

"It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect."

Galatians 6:9

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season

we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Psalms 121:1-2

"I lift up my eyes to the hills – From whence comes my help? My help comes

from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."

Motherhood is a calling that comes with indescribable joy and with great challenges. Whether we’re in a season of sleepless nights with a newborn, or sleepless nights praying for our adult children, we are stronger than we think. We just have to know the source of our strength!

Psalms 28:7

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him."

Prayer Points:

• Ask God every day to give you the strength you need to be a godly mother.

• Pray for wisdom in everything you do.

• Pray that God will help you to live a godly example to your children.

• Thank God for the blessing of being a mother.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for allowing me to be a mother! And thank You for my children. They are a gift and a blessing from You! I pray they will always love and serve You; and as they raise their children, I pray they will rely on You for strength each day. Thank You that my children know You as their Savior. I pray that my grandchildren will understand the gift of salvation at an early age and that they’ll accept Jesus as their Savior and live their lives honoring and serving You. Please give me wisdom and strength to be a godly mother and grandmother.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Tammy McGee