Angi was my due date buddy when I was pregnant with Sweet Doodle and she was pregnant with her youngest. Although we are in many ways at entirely different stages of life (she is both a new mama and a grandma!), some of the similarities during our pregnancies were startling, including both of us ending up with unexpected c-sections due to babies who simply did not want to get into proper position for birth. She has faith that could move mountains and undoubtedly finds her joy in the Lord. To read more about the crazy Hollywood adventure her family is on, check out Choice Central…A Place for Choosers. Below, she shares the fruit of her prayers even as she fought the feelings of being overwhelmed with this whole mommy thing!

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Isaiah 58:6-12

Often times in the midst of raising our children, we weary of the constant press of our littles needs. Not because we don’t love them, not because we do not wish to nurture them, but rather, because of the constant nature of parenting. Parenting is a 24/7 job, and no substitute teacher has been scheduled for the Classroom of Life on your behest!

Years ago, when all four of my [older] children were under the age of eight years, we had just moved to a new state. I knew no one, my husband worked overtime, and my immediate family lived 2000 miles away. The demands upon me were great, in terms of raising up the hearts and minds of the little ones in my care.

Often, I’d wish that they’d “Just be quiet! Stop jabbering! Play by yourself!” I, as a deep thinker, would often retreat to the rivers and tributaries of my mind and the constant chatter was a source of interruption to me. I found I didn’t know how to bridge the gap of adult thought, particularly as it pertained to the study of God’s Word, to a simple, easy to understand verbiage that the children could comprehend and grasp. I loved my children ~ but I didn’t know how to communicate with them.

Years of exasperation followed me, and I found myself crying out to the Lord in prayer that He do the miraculous work of transcribing my spiritual ‘college level’ understanding of the things of Christ into the spiritual ‘elementary level’ understanding that my children could hear.

Amazingly, I have watched the Lord do just that. Little by little, the Lord has added to my skill set, increasing my ability to make big concepts palpable to my children. The Lord has been faithful to bring other nurturing individuals into the lives of my children to meet them on their level where I lacked, and while I worked it all out. Most significantly, however, was the power of my actions, coupled with my prayers that have made the largest impact on my children. Even though I felt as though I were not communicating to them, the truth was that my actions carried tremendous weight ~ and actions speak louder than words.

It’s a biblical principle, the combining of faith with works. Perhaps you may have been wondering if your prayers have any fruit, any expected end. Most assuredly I say to you ~ keep up the good work. Continue on, press in. Your decision to “keep on keepin’ on”, while lifting those young ones to the Lord, will produce your desired harvest. Show them the Gospel. Care for the poor; feed the hungry; visit the fatherless, the widow; to the best of your ability, secure justice for others. In so doing, may the Lord grant your children ears to hear, and eyes to see.

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27