New Beginnings for Moms

“Behold I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

This is a season of firsts. My baby Canaan started kindergarten. Jordan started 1st grade, but desperately misses her beloved kindergarten teacher who retired. Caleb is a 5th grader and at school for the first time without Chase. Chase is now in 6th grade at the middle school. Taylor is 16 and is a licensed driver. As we’ve prepared for all of these firsts, I’ve noticed that with firsts come both excitement and apprehension. We both like and fear the new. While I’m excited about the new seasons my children are experiencing, there is also that feeling of the unknown. I’m glad that Taylor can drive, but should I let her drive alone? She reminded me the other day that the only way that I would know that she could drive alone was to allow her to drive alone. Deep sigh…She’s right and I know it.

For the first time in 10 years, all my kids are in school. That’s a new thing for me and I’m excited yet a little unsure of what the new will bring. I know I’m not the only one because I’ve watched my Facebook friends share their mixed emotions about the changes that come when the baby goes to school. The truth is we can’t stop change. We can’t hold our children in limbo while we get ready. We have to embrace the new and learn from it. They aren’t just changing…we are changing too!

When you’ve defined yourself as a stay at home mom, what do you do now that all the kids are gone? There can be a sense of loss because time that use to be filled with Nick Jr. is now open to really do whatever you desire. The problem is often, you don’t know what you desire. I realized this last year when Canaan went to preschool so I started working on what I wanted to do next. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy. I'll still learning to create a world that balances my desire to be a great mom with my desire to do something that matters with the rest of my day. When you’ve spent years just being wherever your kids needed you to be, it can be a challenge to figure out what to do when they don’t need you from 8-3.

A Facebook mom posted the other day “Who am I if I’m not a mom?” Great question! This is a great place to start the discussion and begin the journey of developing the rest of you.

Questions to consider:

What do I like to do?

What have I always wanted to do, but couldn’t because I was raising small children?


What would I like to learn to do? What would be an ideal day for me?


What am I passionate about? What cause am I connected to?

Is this a time to go back to school, start a new job or business, get in shape, pick up an old passion or a new hobby? Well, it could be…if you decide it is. You have options.

You are a mom, but being a mom isn’t your only gift. God equipped you with gifts and talents that the world needs. Now is a great time to learn about you. I know that there is a tendency to feel that after you’ve spent years raising kids that you don’t have much to offer the world, but the truth is being a mom has taught you skills that make you more effective to the world. You just need to identify what you know and how you can use it to make a difference.

Father, please help all moms who struggling to find their place as their children transition into new seasons. Help them to see that You care about their dreams as well. Stir up dreams, passions and ideas that will make our world a better place. Help them to know what they should do next. Help them transition effectively in this new season. In Jesus’ name, Amen!