Editor’s note: During Gary’s recovery from his upcoming knee surgery, WCFS mom and missionary Karen Schott, will be speaking live from Cambodia at our monthly workshops. We will also be sharing the substance of her talks in the Family Heritage Developer. Below is the first part of her series on “Thriving.” 

What decisions do we make as moms to get to the place of thriving? Yes! It is possible! With God, all things are possible! 

How do we thrive? 

Thriving – I want to thrive. Do you, as a mom, want to thrive? I think we all want to thrive. I think we would all raise our hands and say, “Me, me, me!” How do we get to that place of thriving and stay there?

Peace

What words would we use that encapsulates “thriving”? My mind goes to the word “peace” first. Peace. I want peace in my family. Peace amongst our children – children that don’t whine, children that have good attitudes, children happily going about whatever is before them. Peace in our schedule - not rushed, not overwhelming, but productive, everyone moving steadily and confidently along. Peace in my marriage – where communication and love are easily given and received, where time is spent together even in quietness, but with that understanding and knowing each other within the depth of marriage. We could each add more aspects of life where we desire peace. Maybe peace within our home’s organization, peaceful meals. Peace – each person in our home being at peace!

Peace…I think most of us would say we want peace, peace surrounding us. Even Jesus Christ desires peace for us. Jesus spoke these words, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27, MEV) How do we obtain peace? Peace within our own souls, that deep down, in your soul kind of peace. Have we experienced that deep, down in your soul kind of peace? Do we live in a state of peace? I believe we can. As busy moms we can stay in that peace, that peace that Jesus wants to give us.

Love

My mind next goes to “love” when trying to put words to incapsulate “thriving”. An unconditional love where I don’t have to orce myself to live out but an unconditional love of grace, mercy, and truth that freely comes out of my mouth and my actions. But that has to start in my thoughts. Out of my mouth and life comes what is going on in my head! Lord, help me to think what you want me to think! “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, KJV)

Joy 
Next my mind goes to “joy”. Joy! A joy that nothing, no one, or any situation can take away. Really? Not long ago, one of our sons was going about the house singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart; down in my heart; down in my heart; I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart; down in my heart to stay.” To stay. Those words “to stay” struck me. Do I really have the Lord’s joy so deep down in me that it is there to stay? Lord, I want it, more and more!

The Spirit: The River Flowing from Within

I realize as I think through what does it mean to thrive and I use words such as love, joy, peace, I realize that I long for the fruits of the Spirit. Lord, I need all of them every day – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Lord, how I need your Spirit working in my life.

Moms, I believe the Holy Spirit can work in our lives when we give room for the Holy Spirit to work. We can try within ourselves to create a peaceful home, try to love those around us, try to stuff some joy in us. We can have new ideas, read about the latest research, read what works for other moms, make plans, but our feeble efforts will not produce long lasting outcomes. Our best made effort of creating love, joy, peace…in our lives and homes may last a few days and then we quickly become discouraged when we get out of sorts, or when a child doesn’t receive our love, or when an unexpected interruption throws the schedule and everyone off. And we step back and wonder, how did that all just happen when I just had great ideas and was trying my best?

The simple answer is we need to seek Jesus. His Spirit is made available to us that we can be taught and filled with His Spirit, that we may have the mind of Christ. We need Jesus more every day. We need Him more today than we did yesterday. Do we believe that? And are we willing to do something about it? 

There is a song that can be sung as a prayer, “I Need You More”. The words go like this, “I need You more, more than yesterday, I need You Lord, more than words can say, I need You more, than ever before, I need You Lord, I need You Lord. More than the air I breathe, more than the song I sing, more than the next heartbeat, more than anything, and Lord as time goes by, I’ll be by Your side, ‘cause I never want to go back, to my old life. I need You more, more than yesterday, I need You Lord, more than words can say, I need You more, than ever before, I need You Lord, I need You Lord…” (Lindell Cooley). When we begin to sing those words from our heart, the Lord will meet us where we are, at that moment. Our Father meets us where we are, encourages us, He calls us His daughter, we call Him, Abba Father. Abba Father! I run to You!

Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the Scriptures hat said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38). Verse 39 goes on to say, “When He said this, He spake of the Holy Spirit.”

“Lord, you said that I can have rivers of living water flowing out from me. I get it Lord. Those rivers are the fruits of the Spirit flowing out of my life. They come from You! I am so glad that I don’t have to figure out how to get and make them flow out of me. Lord, they come from You! Lord, my need is you, more of you! Lord, I’m thirsty for You! God, I need you, I need You more. God, I want rivers of living water flowing out of me. It is Your Holy Spirit working in me and through me that the rivers of the fruits of the Spirit will come – love, joy, peace, patience...”

No “Dry Seasons” Necessary!  

I want a river that never runs dry. A river that is always flowing. This is only going to happen by us going to the source – Jesus Christ, every day, throughout the day. I am reminded of Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” I don’t believe that we should have spiritual “dry” seasons in our lives. Over the years, I have heard Christians say that they are in a “dry” season spiritually. They don’t feel God close. Sometimes I think we as Christians have accepted this as a normal part of the Christian walk and almost to the point that we think we have earned a badge if we are going through a “dry” season. We open the door to complaining and whining to get some sort of pity. We waste time and dry up more when we simply do not go to God. God is the source! Jesus Christ has been, is, and always will be the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the Fountain of Living Waters (Jeremiah 17:13). He lovingly, graciously, and abundantly gives life to us. We need not worry about going into a “dry” season as a Christian! “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

Going to the source, drinking freely of Jesus Christ takes time. As busy moms, where does this time come from? This time is essential to our well-being, our health, our ability to love as Jesus loves, our deep down joy, our peace, and a heart that beats with the heart of Christ for His Kingdom. Time with Him is essential for rivers to flow from our belly. Where does this time come from? 

To be continued next month, when Karen will talk about priorities. 

Karen is the wife of Brad, the mother of 6 children and the grandmother of 1! The oldest three children have all graduated from WCFS, and we have been blessed to have them as active and affiliate members here at WCF since before 2010! WCF is blessed to partner with them in their mission work in Cambodia. Karen continues to homeschool her youngest three sons there, while the whole family engages in their outreach ministry in local villages of Cambodia.

By Karen Schott