The 2009-10 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Theme is

This is my first devotion for our MOPS Group….
Social Pressures on Planet Mom
Please allow me to reminisce about my family for a minute. Both of my parents were raised on farms during the 1930-40. My Grandmothers started their married lives by either living with their in-laws or renting a few rooms from a neighbor. They would spend their entire week on the farm, possibly leaving to go to church on Sunday. They did not have a TV and only added a radio sometime after the depression. Their days were filled with hard work and their evenings were spent with their family - talking, reading, and later listening to the radio. Their only source of being aware of what was in style was when they received a Sears and Roebuck catalog. Hard to imagine – isn’t it?
My Mom and Dad married and moved off of the farm in 1954. Mom worked as a bank teller until she had children. She and my Dad added a TV to their home in 1957, the same year they had my brother. Through the TV, the outside world came into their home – and my Mom could experience Jackie Kennedy’s style, commercials and homes such as Leave it to Beaver, where all the women wore dresses, aprons and heals. My Mom had a car available to her at all times and could shop at the grocery store as often as she needed.
In 1984 I had my first sweet baby girl, Alycia who is now about the same age as many of you. We lived in a home in suburbia, 2 hours from my parents and 15 hours from my in-laws. I was alone all day as all of my neighbors worked. I had a TV, but did not have cable and we did not get a VCR or a microwave until 1987. I had a car available and once a week, I would spend the day with a friend who also had a baby girl. I talked on the phone to my friends a lot. In 1998, we got our first family personal computer and thought that dial up service was amazing. By 2006, our entire family each had their own phone and in 2008 everyone had their own computer.
How things have changed in 25 years. Now as Moms you have the world at your fingertips – with the touch of a few keys you can be anywhere in the world. You have every kinds of media available to you – especially to show you how to cook, decorate, discipline, dress, plan an event, etc. Every day you leave your home to go somewhere and your kids are more active outside of your home, than my Grandmothers ever were.
The social pressures on you and your family are greater than they have ever been in history. Not only to you have to cook, but you have to cook amazingly like Rachel Ray which means with evoo (extra virgin olive oil – I did not know about this until just a few years ago), your home has to be decorated like DYI, your nails have to be done, your hair has to have a bump (or be full, smooth and textured…), you absolutely must be thin and your children have to be the best at something (sports, reading, piano, …), your husband must be successful, your marriage has to be able have intimate relations like what are shown on TV/movies, and it would be great if you had a successful career as well – because everyone else has one. And don’t forget keeping up with all of those friends on Facebook and Twittering too!
Ah, the social pressures of our world today – which are so different from my Grandmothers. But, we live in today’s world and God has put us here for this time in this place. He called you to be a mother in 2009 and so we must live now. I want to encourage you to hang on to the truth of what God is looking for in a Mom.
When God was choosing David to be the next King of Israel, He sent Samuel to select the next King. He went to David’s family and met all of David’s strong, successful brothers, but none of them were the one to be King. Then Samuel asked if there were any other brothers and David’s father answered that there was still one more brother who was tending sheep. So they sent for him and sure enough – the shepherd, David, was God’s choice to be King.
God had given Samuel these words before he met David …
“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Unfortunately, today we value ourselves on ”the things man looks at”, our appearance, our homes, our children and our successes. But God looks at our hearts – He knows what is going on in our minds and our deep desire to look together. But He also knows that the outward appearance is just a shell for what is happening in our minds. And if we aren’t feeling good about ourselves on the inside – it will not help to look good on the outside.
I know that most of your children have told you that you are pretty. Even today my daughters still tell me that I am pretty. I know that they love me because I am their Mom, not because I wear cool clothes or have great hair. Your children see your real beauty because you are their Mom – and a Mom means secure love and acceptance – a safe place to be yourself.
Your Heavenly Father provides the same secure love and acceptance. Yes, He sees our insecurities and faults – but He loves us just the same and draws us to a relationship to Him. He has known us since our creation, and even with each flaw – God has continued to love us. We are safe when we are in His presence; there are no social pressures in His presence just safety.
So if the God of the Planet Earth can love us – we must then remove the pressures we place on ourselves and families and embrace who God has created us to be.
You are Valued
You are Accepted
You are Loved.
“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3