Every Momma NEEDS to Read

If you aren’t busy already, let me tell you just one more thing I think you desperately need to add to your plate. 

You need to be back into the habit of reading. 

Every momma NEEDS to read.

We read to know that there is someone out there who is going through, or has gone through, the same thing that we are. Sure, the names have been changed to protect the identity of the parties involved, but the story remains the same. 

And so we read. 

We thirst for the reminder that there is hope in the bleak moments of motherhood, of adulting. We search for the encouragement to try again, to do better. And we consume, on mass, the message that we will pull through. 

We want to know that it has been done before. That success is possible and that, even when we feel as though everything is going terribly wrong, that we can’t possibly screw up our children THAT bad. 

This generation of moms, I would reckon, has strayed a touch from good old fashioned reading, and instead is desperate for connection in the confines (or the vastness) of social media. Peeping into windows and catching glimpses of a world outside her own. 

A whole NEW world, and yet one that looks vaguely familiar. 

And she scrolls, searches, likes and occasionally comments so that she can feel connected.

And yet, no matter how many times she sees the happy faces, or even reads the semi-sob stories that always culminate in some sort of mess to message post, she feels alone. 

We feel alone even when we drown ourselves in the desperate pursuit of feeling connected. Normal. 

The truth is, no matter how much we search the Internet, no matter how well I craft each post, trying desperately to connect to you on a deep, soul sister level, it does not fill the void. 

The connection we need first and foremost is the God connection. The book we need to devour as if we were 15 again and it was the next release in the Twilight Series, the person we need affirmation from is God himself. 

We read to know we are not alone and the only words that will truly remind us of that, that will leave us satisfied before chasing the wind of the unceasing updates of the social media scroll, is the connection we find in the pages of our Bibles. 

Now, hold up a minute, before you tell me how busy you are, how tired you are, and how you couldn’t fathom adding another thing to your plate. Pause and know that this is not another thing on top of the endless tasks to do. This is the most important thing. The first thing. The ONLY thing that will make all the other things worthwhile. 

You see in the pages of our Bibles is the hope for eternity. The perspective we need as we scrub the blackberry juice off the wall following an explosive homeschooling session. Our Bibles provide us with the whisper of acceptance amidst he noise of never measuring up. 

And here is the greatest part, you don’t need to read a chapter a day or a book of the bible a month to be fed and sustained. 

Even a verse can be the rock solid reminder that we serve a faithful and loving God. One well timed notification on your phone that lights up the screen with truth and grace. 

No matter how much time you feel you have, or don’t have, you KNOW that you will find time to hold onto your phone today and scroll the Facebook, check-in on Instagram, and will possibly even open an e-mail or two. You will find time to search for acceptance in the void of the enemies lies and distractions while your Bible collects dust. 

Hear me, before you start any of these, before you dive into comparison and solidarity amongst all your online “friends”, reach for your most trusted companion. Find yourself where the reading is best.

THEN go on with your day.