Monday, our new book will be launched. Words on a page that seek to bring hope and life and love to moms. I am so excited this morning about the possibilities of friendships being made, community being forged, women feeling loved. But even for me, there is need for refueling, so that I can remember and cherish what it is all about.
It is 5:30 a.m. and I am up early sipping coffee in the lobby of a hotel near my home. Two days ago, Clay encouraged me to take a room so that I could work on messages for my conferences this year. With a house full of people all the time, food to cook, dishes to wash, conversations buzzing around, and the busyness of the holidays, I needed some time to center myself.
And yet, in the day and a half that I have been here, I have not gotten much accomplished. Even here, my sweet children have buzzed over to talk to me of life, decisions, had some tears, discussed love, jobs and people. My cell phone has buzzed incessantly with people having questions and needs for ministry, conferences, and for the launch coming on Monday. Friends still need me. Clay has tasks for me to do. And of course, I had a different child come and stay with me each night because I do not really like to be alone in a hotel and my brain is dead at night anyway.
Joy came last night. “Mom, why did you and Dad get married to each other? What gives glue to your life?” “What is the essence of your message that drives your life?”
A little heavy for 10 at night, so I felt. There are moments when my brain is just empty and a flat line. But after a few hours of sleep, I awakened this morning early and my mind was just bubbling over from pondering her question and others she posed to me. I can’t wait to have breakfast with her this morning to give her an answer.
Sometimes it is as though the Holy Spirit speaks to me best in the middle of the night when there are no other distractions or duties.
The scripture started flowing:
“Rule over the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1
“The wise woman builds her house, the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matt. 7:24-27
The more I pondered my purpose, the more my excitement grew once again, to live, write and speak to what I have been designed to do.
The evening before, I had been weary to the bone with having spent myself in a thousand ways over the past months. A thousand ways people and life had required my time. Don’t we all have lists of people and life issues that drain us on a daily basis?
If we are serving others and living purposefully, we will become tired because we are expending our energy generously on a regular basis. It is why God made nighttimes to sleep. And Sabbath rest to celebrate. Because He knew we needed rest and He provided for us to be refueled.
And yet, if we think we are just checking off a list of “to do’s” and just completing mundane tasks that will have to be repeated again and again, we will not have the fire in our hearts to complete the job. It is just too much work. Too much giving of ourselves and expending our energy. An endless stream of things to be done and people who drain our lives. If motherhood is just about keeping a child alive, fed and dressed, then why not give them over to someone else to raise so that we can have our own lives back?
In remembering the why of our marriage, our life work, our love and commitment of family, my heart became energized once again for the multitudinous tasks.
What if this is the work that matters for history? What if our shaping souls will be our investment in the kingdom of God? And if the mothers who have babies do not take care for their children’s well-being and souls, then what hope does the future have? All of this once again filled my mind.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19
“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:19
This labor of love that we diligently pursue is not about now. It is about investing in the kingdom of God, doing His work today, living our conviction that people have eternal value and that we are willing to be shepherds for their souls.
If there will be a resurrection, an accounting to God for our days and for our children–and there will; if He has entrusted us with this charge of raising our children for His glory–and He has; then we must complete our task with diligence. But we will only do so if we understand that some day, this story we are living will be told and our lives of faithfulness will be a testimony of our worship and belief in Him.
Our hope– that is, our anchor– is that our labor matters. Our hope is that our labor is not in vain. Our hope is that He sees us and has appointed us to steward the lives of little ones whose souls will have eternal impact.
If we connect to Him who is life, and listen to His words and admonition, and understand that we are about a work of the kingdom of God, our lives have reason for hope. We know that we are investing in eternity. We are shaping history. We are giving shelter and creating a place to teach wisdom, truth, and love in the stormy places of life.
Truth and purpose give us a reason to live this irrational life of giving, serving, exhausting ourselves for the sake of living a story.
The difference between desperate and hope is that one life lacks meaning and is just filled with endless, meaningless work. The other life has the same amount of work, but is filled with the anticipation of working hand in hand with God for an eternal result that will truly shape and protect generations. This work fills a heart with the fire to live the impossible.
But, to be able to complete this great work, we need friends, people who care about our weariness and love us, women to live life with,
women who care enough to show us how and to pick us up when we fall.
DESPERATE: HOPE FOR THE MOM WHO NEEDS TO BREATHE–
COMING MONDAY, JANUARY 7–DON’T MISS OUT!
P.S. SarahMae and I are hosting a Twitter party that night at 9pm! Don’t miss it–you can follow us @Sally_Clarkson and @SarahMae!
Good Morning, Sally~
I am so sorry that you are weary, but I am so thankful that you spent yourself in Sussex, New Brunswick this past June. I was desperate and in need of hope and I found it through your talks. Thank you so much for sharing so much of yourself with us. I have forwarded many of your blog posts to sisters and friends because if they encourage me, they will surely encourage them, too. I also just finished reading Dancing with My Father and look forward to reading through it again and taking the time to carefully answer all of the study questions.
Sally,
. I am tired. I have 5 little ones, 4years old & under (yes you read that right), and there are days that feel very very repetitive. Thank you for sharing your heart. Since I wasn’t up early spending time with Jesus, I needed some focusing/ encouragement over my coffee. I remembered your website this morning, and it was JUST what I needed to hear. Thank you for encouraging us mamas even when you are feeling empty yourself. I hope to come to the NC conference this year, but we’ll see if I’m able to. If not this year, definitely next year!! Thank you for your ministry. You are precious.
After a very late night with the baby,I woke up (earlier than I would have liked) to my son’s face telling me to wake up.
Mary, just wanted to wave and say “Hi!” to another Mom with lots of littles
This past 3 1/2 years has been filled with SO much change for me too as 4 children have been born to us in that time. It’s all been good changes but still super challenging to have to go through that much transformation in such a short time! Anyway, just wanted to encourage you and all of the other moms out there, to keep on keeping on!
Very much appreciated!
Thank you for your service Sally
Sally – You are always an encouragement to me and so many others. God has given you a great work here on earth! I am so happy you have HOPE in your life work!
Since there is a new launch day does that mean we order on Monday instead of Tuesday to get the journal?
Yes–Monday we will have all the information up of what you can win. And you can start ordering on Monday.
Oh Sally.
You’re video is so powerful, beautiful and encouraging. I will try and watch it every day…especially the hard days.
Thank you for being such a strong mentor in my life…..God truly uses you to lift me up. admonish me and teach and grow me in the Lord.
I thank you for being a tool in the Lord’s hand.
Love,
Johanna (mom of 5)
Ps. today is my oldest daughter’s birthday, she turns 13.
I just recently discovered you and Sarah Mae, and I’m so excited to read your book! Thanks for the work you do. <3
Sally,
First of all, thank you for the ministry that you run. You have helped to fill a void in my life that my own mother can’t fill. I have started reading desperate and am really enjoying it thus far. I will be at your conference in Dallas, it is my first time coming to one, so I can’t wait! Lastly, thank you for showing me by your example that it is okay to unplug from life for a day or two to center and recharge ourselves. You’ve “given me permission” to do it, I always feel guilty asking my husband for a few hours away to recharge myself. It is a goal for me this year to take at least one night away to re-center myself. Thank you!!!
I really appreciate your writing. I found your blog through A Holy Experience, after our second daughter died, when I was looking for some encouragement; I invested in Kindle editions of your books this summer when I was pregnant with our son, who was stillborn at 34 weeks.
For me, the hardest thing is that I fully believe in motherhood as my service to God. I find great joy in sharing God with my 4 year old daughter. But evidently the desire that I always had for a less than small family, and a chance to raise children who might impact the world for Christ is not going to be fulfilled, for medical reasons. This limitation is very difficult to accept, and right now it seems to define my life.
However, I have to say that your writing gives me hope that my efforts have a meaning, even if I have only one child to give to God. (Yes, I have three children, but since two of them are with God, I can only influence the life of one.) I really believe that your books have given me strength not to give up.
So thank you. I really appreciate your ministry.
i know i don’t know you Noel, but your story of faith really encouraged me. wow. talk about a solid dose of perspective for me today. thank you for sharing and may God bless you abundantly as your raise your sweet child!!!
I have a post ready to go for Monday talking about Desperate! Loved the book and excited to share about it on my blog.
Sally, I’m so excited to begin this book with my momheart group! Blessings to you and Sarah! The groups order is saved on amazon for Monday, and we are all anxious to get started. Thanks for offering the spa package giveaway too! So sweet!