The Mother of Little Acts

Kathy Carlton Willis is one of the most encouraging women I know. In this Mother's Day UPGRADE, she has a message for all women about how we can "mother" others through little acts of kindness and love.

"Since I wasn't blessed with children, I never know how to feel on Mother's Day," Kathy says. "But God gives all of us, whether a parent or childless, ways to be a mother to others."

I (Dawn) have always felt a lttle upset for those who must face Mother's Day with sadness. Maybe it's a woman who has no children, or a child whose mother has passed away. I was so glad to read Kathy's positive words. We can all learn to "mother" others and bless them in countless ways.    

It may not take away the sting of loss or sorrow, but it gives us a way to channel our feelings for good.

Kathy continues . . . 

When I look up the word "mother" in my handy thesaurus, it says a mother protects, nurses, tends to, pampers, nurtures, raises, looks after, cares for.

In Hosea, Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke, God or Jesus are described as mother figures. To be godly, we too can take on the character traits of a good mother.

During this pandemic, I've witnessed so many doing amazing acts of kindness. What have we learned during this time about showing love?

All these little things amount to big ways we can help others. Lives were touched from more than six feet apart!

There are also many unnoticed acts of love.

Moms have to do thankless tasks. We can all take up the challenge to be unseen do-ers. Not seeking credit but spreading joy.

It doesn’t take a big action to have a big effect.

God sees every unseen act of kindness or service.

Little Things in the Bible

• The Widow at Zarephath used flour and oil and a few sticks for a fire to make bread to feed Elijah. She had enough for the remainder of the drought. (1 Kings 17:7-24)
  
• The tongue. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. (James 3:5 NLT)
• The mustard seed. (Matthew 13:31-32; Luke 17:6)
• The widow who gave her last two coins. (Mark 12:41)
• The five-loaves-and-two-fish happy meal the mom packed to send with her boy. (Matthew 14:17; John 6:9)
• The sparrow. (Matthew 10:29-31)
• The number of hairs on our heads. (Luke 12:7)
• Moses’ rod. (Exodus 4:1-5, 17, 20)
• David’s sling and five smooth stones. (I Samuel 17:40, 49)
• Shamgar’s ox goad. (Judges 3:31)
  
• Samson’s jawbone of a donkey. (Judges 15:14-16)

In any struggle, God can use even the insignificant thing that is already in our hands to give us victory!

When Peter and John saw the crippled man at the gate called Beautiful, asking for alms, they didn’t have money to give, but through Jesus Christ, had something greater.

But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6 ESV)

Unseen Acts

Moms, caregivers, and others constantly perform acts of tiny service that go unseen. Not a day goes by without these little details.

If you’ve ever felt like your day is filled with mundane tasks, unnoticed by others and seemingly unimportant, I have a message for you.

Your affirmation and appreciation won’t always come from the recipients of your loving acts.

But God sees. He knows.

Your acts aren’t unseen, and you—you are not invisible. God not only notices you, He delights in you.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) says:

For the Lord your God is living among you.

He is a mighty savior.

He will take delight in you with gladness.

With his love, he will calm all your fears.

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

I love the idea of God singing songs over me!

He takes delight in us. He notices us.

Think what would happen if we made a commitment to give freely. We’d be enriched by it and others will know they are cared for.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (Proverbs 11:24 ESV)

Everyday Mothering

1. Notice others. Say their names. Know their hearts. Pay attention to what they love.
2. Do a tiny act of kindness. When we serve others, it’s not insignificant. Sometimes, the simpler the act, the more it touches the recipient.
3. Don’t allow the mundaneness of everyday life to overtake being connected in community.

How will you “mother” others this week?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Her latest book is 7 Trials Every Woman Faces. Kathy is active as a book industry pro, and her coaching group, WordGirls, propels women toward their writing goals. She graduated with honors from Bible College and has served 30+ years in full-time ministry. Check out her Grin & Grow Break video devotions on social media. Learn more about Kathy here.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pasja1000 at Pixabay.

Trust the Blueprints

Kolleen Lucariello speaks into women's lives in engaging, practical ways. In this Relationship with God UPGRADE, she envisions God as a faithful Contractor, accomplishing His purposes in our lives.

"Sometimes full understanding remains a mystery until the contractor completes the work," Kolleen says. "When you can’t fully catch the vision—you watch, wait, and trust the one with the blueprints."

I (Dawn) have studied blueprints before. They can be so complicated! I've wished I could crawl inside a contractor's mind to figure out what he sees sometimes that I'm not seeing.

Kolleen continues . . .

Every summer our house undergoes a little upgrade. This year, a simple front step soon became a front-porch-walkway-landscaping project for my husband and I, filling our front yard with piles of dirt and sand, black tarps, pavers and lumber.

“I can’t wait to see it finished,” our daughter commented during one visit, “It’s going to look so nice.”

The next comment came from our five-year-old granddaughter: “I can’t wait to see it finished, cause then I will finally understand what you are doing.”  

What seemed obvious to us was not to her.

I can relate. Don’t tell her, but I’ve been confused by some of her art projects, too. Some projects only make sense to the one with the plan.

I agree with her. It’s not always easy to catch the vision until the project is complete. I share the same limitations and I find myself struggling to understand when seasons of difficulty hammer away.

I find myself trying to catch the vision for God’s plan every time life becomes paved with blinding unknowns and overwhelming struggles. This is when I admit  “I can’t wait to see this finished, Lord, because then perhaps, I will understand what You are doing.”

Well, I hope to understand, or it might be—"Please, Lord help me understand"

Years ago, we lost our brother-in-law in a car accident.

I became angry with God for what I perceived as unfair and unjust. I didn’t really care to have understanding about what God was doing; I thought He was just being cruel.

I recognize now how God used this tragedy to lead my husband and I to understand our need for salvation. What might have destroyed our faith, God used to cement it instead.

Several years later, we lost a very close friend in another car accident.

The loss was devastating for us, but we knew God as a Contractor was able to build something good out of the destruction.

When the pain was great I found myself repeating, “I can’t wait to see the good at the end of this, God, because right now, I don’t understand the why behind what just happened.”

I would remind myself of what I knew to be true about God:

• You know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
• You are deeply concerned about us, and are able to turn this bad into something good (Romans 8:28).

Unlike the first time, I didn’t get mad at Him. I didn’t turn bitter.

I refused the invitation to believe God was cruel.

I just imagined my head on His chest while I wept—grateful that He understood my heartbreak, and that I now understood His comfort.

Life is unpredictable. Perhaps this is why the Psalmist reminds us to put our trust in, and reliance on the Lord, rather than relying on our own insight and understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

With my hazy insight and limited understanding, trusting in—while relying on—Jesus is the only option that offers me any peace when life becomes unsettled. After all, He promised that in Him we would have perfect peace; but He also forewarned us of tribulation, distress and suffering, too.

“Be courageous,” He said. “I have overcome the world” (John 16:13).  

Jesus is predictable when life is not. 

God is the Contractor who began a glorious work within you, and He’s the One who will faithfully continue the process of building you into His likeness—adding a few finishing touches here and there (Philippians 1:6).

When you lack understanding, trust the Lord as you do three things.

1. Rejoice that He sees you.  

“I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction; You have taken note of my life’s distresses” (Psalms 31:7 AMP).

Your distress has been noted!

2. Focus your thoughts.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT).

3. Find rest.

Jesus said,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT).

Unload your troubles onto Him.

Sometimes you need to patiently wait, watch the process, and trust something good can come from the mess you’re staring at now.

Even when you don’t understand His vision.

Where in your life are you struggling to understand what God is doing? How can you trust God's "blueprint" for your life and find rest, peace and even joy in Him?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of the devotional book, The ABC's of Who God Says I Am; and as a speaker, she speaks into women's lives "one letter at a time." Kolleen and her high school sweetheart, Pat, reside in Central New York. She's a mother of three married children and Mimi to five incredible grandkids—with one more on the way! For more information about Kolleen, visit her website.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Classically Printed at Pixabay.