Reviewed by Aimee Byrd
Many moms come to Sunday worship with a disheveled heart. On one hand, they are starving for the preached Word of God and the fellowship of the saints. On the other, they don’t know how long they will actually be able to sit under it, how many lines of their favorite song they will get out, or if they will ever really be able to answer that “how was your week” question before needing to step outside and take care of the demands of an infant or toddler. Then there are the years ahead of training them to be a joyful, but attentive part of the family of God.
Moms with babies and young ones particularly have a difficult time striving to be rooted in Scripture – time being the key word. It’s extremely difficult to meditate on Scripture, even for five minutes, when you are aware of the high likelihood of being interrupted repeatedly. This makes it hard to be engaged in God’s Word, asking good questions for reflection and evaluation, or knowing where to even begin praying.
And this makes mom all the more frustrated on Sunday morning. She may be walking into church in zombie mode – dad too for that matter! On top of her exhaustion and her need to be ministered to by the Word, she feels guilty. There’s a good chance that she hasn’t come with a heart tilled and ready for worship. And she’s thinking of all the would-haves and should-haves from the week that has passed.
I have a recommendation for that mom: Melissa Kruger’s Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood. Kruger has put together an eleven-week devotional Bible study that fits the lifestyle of a disheveled mom. Everything is organized for you. The Bible verses are typed out right in the book and there is space provided to write answers to the questions. Kruger writes, “My hope is to make God’s Word as accessible as possible in the midst of your daily life. You can take this study along while you sit in the carpool, nurse a baby, or wait at swim lessons” (4).
In her introduction, Kruger pinpoints a struggle every mom has. “It is easy to become so consumed with the doing that we forget to reflect and think about who we are becoming as we raise our children” (3). That is what sets her book apart from so many other devotional Bible studies for moms. This book isn’t focused on motherhood per se, but rather on God’s character and our walk with him while we are in this season of life. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of God’s character, the fruit of the Spirit, and how these truths permeate our lives and those of our children. She introduces many of the chapters with personal, relatable illustrations before moving into four days of study that provide Scripture on the week’s topic. Each reading is followed by questions that will help the reader further reflect on the meaning of the text and its application today. The fifth day offers a devotional summary for the week. Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood is unintimidating and totally doable! The back of the book provides suggested Scriptures to memorize, as well as additional questions that could be used in a small group study.
Kruger writes with a gentle tone and a passion to help women grow in the Lord. She also writes with humility. I love what she writes in her last devotion in the eleventh week:
Before having children, I considered myself to be fairly patient, self-controlled, and kind. I thought motherhood would only amplify these virtues as I poured out love on my children. In reality, motherhood has exposed just how much I need Jesus. I am not as joyful as I long to be. I am not as peaceful as God calls me to be. I struggle to be faithful in disciplining my children. (222)
I can completely identify with that! Kruger points to every mom’s greatest need in this book, enriches us in the Word, and challenges us to live in light of our identity in Christ.
Aimee Byrd is a wife and mother of three and the author of Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness. She is also the “Residing Housewife Theologian” here at Books At a Glance.