There’s a sacredness in it, motherhood. I confess that I lose sight of this almost daily, but God–in his faithfulness–continues to gently impress upon me that loving them–tenderly nurturing their hearts and minds–is most needful.

There have been days lately when I’ve felt the heaviness in it; constant care, juggling schedules, the endless feeling that the house may never truly be tidy…it gets to me sometimes.

But the thing is—I’m not really alone in that. So many other women throughout history felt this same pressure:

Susanna Wesley–mother to 10(who had lost 9 of her 19 in total) spent around 2 hours daily under her “tent of meeting”(which was an apron she pulled over her head)!

Early in her life, she vowed that she would never spend more time in leisure entertainment than she did in prayer and Bible study. Even amid the most complex and busy years of her life as a mother, she still scheduled two hours each day for fellowship with God and time in His Word, and she adhered to that schedule faithfully. The challenge was finding a place of privacy in a house filled to overflowing with children.

Mother Wesley’s solution to this was to bring her Bible to her favorite chair and throw her long apron up over her head, forming a sort of tent. This became something akin to the “tent of meeting,” the tabernacle in the days of Moses in the Old Testament. Every person in the household, from the smallest toddler to the oldest domestic helpers, knew well to respect this signal. When Susanna was under the apron, she was with God and was not to be disturbed except in the case of the direst emergency. There in the privacy of her little tent, she interceded for her husband and children and plumbed the deep mysteries of God in the Scriptures. This holy discipline equipped her with a thorough and profound knowledge of the Bible.

I commented to a friend recently that alone time seems scarce and rarely uninterrupted. There is always a mess to manage, laundry to be done, schoolwork to complete, reconciliation to facilitate among siblings…

Even if you don’t find yourself in a season of motherhood, seeking quiet is a challenge. There are continual distractions–whether at home or in our vocations; always something tugging at our attention, desiring to divide our minds and take our gaze from Christ. And these distractions aren’t always bad, but the truth is that our souls need quiet now and then. Not just to put our minds at rest, but to remember our source of true rest, found in Christ.

It can be tricky, but even if we’re only taking 5-10 minutes, couldn’t it be worth it? God, in His faithfulness, never wastes these efforts, sisters. Though they be meager, no obedient moment is in vain. Wherever you are, know that the Father graciously loves you just as you are–exactly where you are–and He desires that you come.

Grace and Peace,

Sus

For further reflection: Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, 1 Corinthians15:58, Isaiah 30:15