What I'm Reading Right Now: A Devotional for New Moms

Life has certainly changed since my daughter was born just over a month ago! It feels like most of my life is spent on the couch, nursing or holding or snuggling with Claire. Because there's only so much multitasking you can do with a baby in your arms, I've been doing quite a bit of one-handed reading, the most recent of which is a timely devotional I received from Tyndale to review: Mommy Time: 90 Devotions for New Moms by Sarah Arthur.

The focus of the book's devotionals is on learning to see God at work in all aspects of motherhood. She writes about how delivering her son three weeks early reminds her of God’s timing, how her trip home from the hospital with her newborn son tucked away in his car seat points to God being in control even when she is fearful, and how a mom’s concern over friendly strangers touching her young child in the grocery store also reminds her that people are sent to help. (You can check out this PDF that gives you a sneak peek into the book, including a sample devotional, which you can check out here.)

And, for some more behind-the-scenes of the book, here's a brief Q&A with the author, Sarah Arthur:

What is your hope for this book, Mommy Time?
One of the best ways I’ve found to stay balanced during the crazy transition of motherhood has been to talk with other moms. And that’s what I hope this book is: a conversation, a story, one new mom sharing with other new moms what God is doing in her life. In that sense it’s less a devotional book than a memoir, or maybe a devotional memoir, tracking my spiritual reflections during the first three months of my son’s life.

In your book, you say that “motherhood is itself a spiritual discipline.” What do you mean by this?
Christians often talk about certain spiritual actions or practices that bring us into the presence of God, that deepen our relationship with Jesus. We talk about Bible study, prayer, worship, serving others, etc. But through motherhood, I’ve realized that we can also seek God in the everyday ordinariness of caregiving. The working class, the poor, the enslaved, and illiterate Christians have been doing this for centuries without ten minutes each morning to pray or read Scripture. It is not beneath us to pray while folding laundry. In fact, there is a sense in which having such focus requires more discipline. If we let God in, motherhood can help us grow stronger spiritual muscles and become more like Jesus.

You endeavor to help moms cultivate “awareness of God’s presence in the small things, in the daily tasks of caring for infants.” Can you provide an example of this?
It was my husband who began praying for my son’s body while giving him a bottle—since there isn’t much else to do besides sit there. He prays for Micah’s little feet, that he will stand strong in the Lord; for his legs, that he will walk with Jesus all his days; for his stomach, that he will “feed” on God’s Word; etc.—all the way up. Rather than texting or talking on the phone or checking Facebook, we can take those moments and turn our thoughts toward God.

God is in control. Why is this truth so important for new moms?
We live in a culture of fear: fear for our kids’ safety, fear that we won’t measure up as parents, fear that our children will flunk life, etc. And retailers prey on that fear. So we are surrounded by magazines and books and websites that try to sell us things to give us a false feeling of control. But the truth is, every day I have to unclench my fist and release Micah into the care of the One who made him in the first place. And that’s hard. But if I can practice it now, I can do it when Micah walks out the door with the car keys. Hopefully.

How do you carve out time to spend in God’s Word in your busy life?
I’ll be honest, whatever pattern of “quiet time” many Christians idealize was not invented by new moms. There have been seasons in my life when I deeply, intensely studied Scripture—through Bible classes in college, getting a master’s degree in theology, reading certain books, and attending certain small groups. But during this new season, I have had to draw from the well of those experiences rather than carve out new ones. I have had to tell myself, “Holding this child is what God has for me right now.” If I can free up one arm so that I can read a good devotional book, even better.

What encouragement would you provide to the new mom who is overwhelmed and feeling lost?
You are not alone. Lots of moms, including me, fall into the trap of presenting ourselves as totally together—which just perpetuates that feeling of isolation, like you’re the only one flunking motherhood. But we are all there, sister. I’m sitting here at my laptop unshowered with no idea what to make for dinner tonight, checking my phone fifty-seven times a minute to make sure Micah’s day care isn’t texting me about some crisis. So we’re in this together. And meanwhile, we have a God who holds us and our children in the palm of his hand, who isn’t particularly concerned that the same load of laundry has been in the washer for three days. We rest in grace.

Find Mommy Time: 90 Devotions for New Moms on Amazon.

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