It’s a story I’ve spent many years creating, and the reminder is collaged along my office cabinets as a memory marker each morning of all that is good and precious in motherhood. A legacy I once believed could never be mine. A story I was convinced would not be able to withstand the chains of a broken past.
It’s not a perfect story by any means. But it is a beautiful story. One steeped in redemption and lavished with the truth of God’s everlasting love.
Legacies written in grace and mercy are always beautiful. ←Tweet This!
Perhaps like me, you know what it’s like to grow up in a home filled with anger and abuse…to breathe in worthless and exhale shame.
Perhaps you remember the blows and searing pain of rejection… to be cast out by a parent who should have loved you deeply. A parent who should have fought for you.
And perhaps you remember all too well the lonely road of insecurity… trapped in the scars and fearful of repeating with your own children a cycle you never created.
The truth is, apart from the deep working of God’s healing of our scars and renewing of our minds, we can easily repeat our painful past with our own children. But this is not what God’s dream is for us. His dream is always to give us a hope and a future, regardless of our imperfect past and in spite of the rejection or abuse or abandonment we experienced.
God’s longing is to BE our soul-deep motherhood legacy. ←Tweet This!
He only asks that we believe. Not in what we can do, but in what He will do.
Believing God will create a masterpiece from our brokenness is the beginning of our motherhood legacy.
His desire is to lovingly massage His word into the depths of our heart to break down the accumulation of lies and strongholds which prevent us from believing our motherhood story can be one of promise and hope. His plan is not for us to trudge through motherhood repeating our pain but to nurture and love unconditionally through the strength of our own mending and healing.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph. 2:10 NLT
Believing our identity in Christ is not defined by our scars shapes our motherhood legacy.
His tender heart kneads away the knots of shame and worthlessness, and his unwavering balm of compassion soothes the sting of painful memories. All this to make a way for us to truly see our value and preciousness in light of his scars instead of our own. And we are free to reflect and extend that same God grounded identity to our children.
Believing God’s faithfulness to gather us, hold us and transform us intrenches our motherhood legacy in hope.
His Father love washes and reassures of his steadfast presence. We can trust him with our thoughts, our emotions, our doubts and our soul-deep desires for our children….our legacy. God will not leave us or reject us. Our broken pieces will be restored as he builds our motherhood legacy. Our damaged thoughts will be renewed. And he will teach us to love completely and unconditionally as we experience the same from a father who always delights in us.
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” Joel 2:25 NKJ
Our motherhood legacy was written before we heard the first heartbeat of the child in our womb. It was set in motion before we felt the first kick against our swollen belly. And it will be completed.
By a God who specializes in creating beautiful legacies from imperfect, damaged and broken stories.
Linking up with Titus2sDay, #TellHisStory, Missional Woman
Photos by Flickr
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