Letter from a Mother

To my fellow mother or daughter,

As I look forward to HeartStrong, I think of all the women who have poured into me, especially those who have walked beside me as I navigate this crazy world of parenting. I have a nine-year-old tender but rambunctious tomboy. She is a wonderful little thing, full of life, energy, and a love of God that is so pure. But parenting is hard, and parenting a child who is a little different seems even harder. I often think, “Are you sure I’m enough, Lord?”

But God is faithful. He always puts the right people in my life when I need them. He gives me exactly what I need in my friends, and in the Scripture, they pour into me. 

When my daughter was diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD, the meetings we attended about our daughter were hard. Hearing the way others think about your child can be devastating, especially when they think your child is weird and not normal. I couldn’t talk without crying. Just thinking about what she needed made me cry. I thought, “Why me, God? Why my child? How will I be enough to help her?”

I truly felt like I did not know what to do or who could help. In my sorrow, I called my friend. She reminded me of the truth in Psalm 139:14 that my daughter was “fearfully and wonderfully made.” She is a wonderful work of God, and God never makes mistakes. God made my daughter for His purpose and equipped me to be her mother.

Have you ever doubted your ability? Do you think you are unequipped for the work God has for you?

I doubted my ability again this week. My daughter flew into a fit because she needed to clean her desk, but she thought what she was doing was more important. She got mad, I got mad, and consequences started flying; I was going to have obedience, or she was going to have nothing. 

But when my daughter feels cornered, she just shuts down. She ended up curled under her desk, sobbing. My anger had gotten the better of me; I felt like a failure as a parent. All those thoughts came creeping into my head. I felt helpless, like nothing I ever did as a mother was enough. But in that moment of self-doubt, I remembered my friend. I remember her telling me that God already had it all planned out for us. 

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” 

God reminded me that I do not have to do this alone. I may feel completely helpless and totally inadequate, but He is not! He has already laid the groundwork for my daughter and for me and is with us every step of the way. He knows the ending! 

That afternoon, when things had calmed down, I watched my daughter in awe. She was singing at the top of her lungs, “How great is our God.” She jumped in my arms like I had not yelled at her earlier, everything forgotten. She hugged my neck because I am her mom, and she loves me fiercely. My friend was right, He did make her for His purpose, and He made me enough to be her mother.

So, when you are in the trenches with your children, remember that God is enough! You were created to do good works that were prepared for you in advance—trust that He will equip you for them. God will do immeasurably more for you when you yield to His guidance. 

Love, Carroll Hopkins

Questions for Thought

1. Where in your life do you need to realize that God is enough?
2. How has God equipped you to do His work?

Daily Challenge

When the doubts start to creep in, pause and immediately counter them with the truth of Scripture. When you start to feel inadequate or uncertain, stop whatever you’re doing and ask God to guide you through it.