Even if you’re not a mama…and especially if you are

I’m around moms a lot. Friends, church, the grocery store. And while God hasn’t made children part of my personal journey yet, I feel like I can relate to mamas in certain ways–like learning about grace, patience, and dreams (isn’t every child a God-sized dream waiting to grow?).

So when my friend Kristen Welch first shared that she had written a devotional called, Don’t Make Me Come Up There: Quiet Moments for Busy Moms, I just had to get my hands on a copy. Who cares if I have kids, I thought, I’ll at least apply it to the dog.

But by page five I knew Kristen was writing about much more than parenting. Like she always does, she’s really writing to the heart. She says:

“Last week was bad. Not the kind of bad you can blame on a broken dishwasher or a naughty child or someone else.

It was a week filled with me failing…

We live in a world that doesn’t like failure. It’s ugly and messy. Our world wants perfection, perfectly manicured people who never mess up. Just turn on the television or go to the movies or ask a friend if he or she has messed up lately….

But we were born imperfect and into sin. Through failure, I am drawn to the One who runs to me. He does not turn away from my shortcomings. He is not afraid of my humanity.”

For years on her blog, We are THAT Family, Kristen has been willing to open up about her weaknesses. And she’s taught many women more about grace in doing so. {Also, y’all, Kristen is funny-funny. I used a serious quote here but her book and blog will make you laugh out loud.}

Kristen’s mama heart goes far beyond her own household in other ways too. Last year she took on a new task–opening a maternity home in Africa. You can read more about The Mercy House here. (All of the author royalties from the book go to this project.)

I may not be a mom yet but I’m encouraged by Kristen, her life, and her words. Because really, we are all THOSE people–the ones in need of grace, love, acceptance and to know we’re not alone or even all that crazy. And sometimes we can all just use a big ‘ol hug for our hearts from a mama (and our Heavenly Father too). 

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When someone has the nerve to ask me in a questioning tone, “What do you do all day?” I’ve decided this will be my forever answer: “I’m a mom. What’s your superpower?”   

— Kristen Welch, Don’t Make Me Come Up There 

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Because they think you’re wonderful, Abingdon Press is providing two copies of Kristen’s book for me to give to you. Woo-hoo! To enter leave a comment sharing a story about being a mom with us by midnight on the 25th. It can be about you, a friend, your mama, whoever. If it’s funny, that’s even better.

Update: The winners of Kristen Welch’s book are Jessica Kirkland and Janis Agee.

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