[Devotional #20] How My Kids Taught Me to Find Rest in God

Getting ready with my kids always seems like pure chaos. So the morning we were supposed to get our Christmas pictures taken, I was expecting nothing less. But somehow, I got even more chaos than usual.

What’s typically a 30-minute routine to do my hair and makeup turned into nearly two hours thanks to the many requests of my children. As parents, we know it’s important to pick our battles. And because Christmas pictures have always meant so much to me, I wanted to make sure they were as happy as possible when we walked into that studio with our regular photographer.

That meant some discomfort and craziness for me. And, if I’m honest, a little annoyance at my husband.

While I try to pick my battles with my kids, something I realized that morning is that my kids never pick their battles with me. They bring every single concern, every single emotion, every single thing that upsets them, straight to me. And because I help them through it and guide them in the moment, our pictures turned out better than I could have ever hoped. They captured every bit of my family’s personality.

This got me thinking.

As children of God, we should be taking every concern to Him, because He is our Father. Whether we like the outcome or not, He equips us with what we need (purpose, resilience, strength, endurance.) He is there, giving us exactly what we need, even when we don’t know what that is ourselves.

So take every concern, every emotion, every worry to God the Father… just as your child brings every concern to you. You may not always be able to fix it, but you give them what you can: a place to rest.

Do the same with God. Take your concerns to Him and find your place to rest.

Stay Mighty,

Devotional of the Week: Finding Rest in God

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

As moms, we spend so much time trying to hold everything together; schedules, emotions, meltdowns, medications, appointments, therapies; all while pretending we aren’t about to crumble ourselves. We tell ourselves, “Just get through the next thing.”

But that morning before our Christmas pictures reminded me of something deeper. My kids don’t try to handle everything on their own. When they’re upset, overwhelmed, or unsure, they run straight to me. No hesitation. No pretending. Just trust.

That’s what God wants from us.

Reflection

God doesn’t need our polished prayers or our perfectly timed faith. He just wants us. Every concern. Every emotion. Every tear. The same way our kids come running into our arms, God invites us to come running into His.

Rest isn’t found in finishing the to-do list or keeping the house quiet for five minutes. Rest begins when we stop trying to fix it all ourselves and start trusting that God can handle what we can’t. That’s where we find rest in God.

When we surrender control, He replaces chaos with calm. When we stop carrying what was never ours to hold, His peace meets us right where we are… messy hair, tired heart, and all.

Journal Prompt

What burdens have I been carrying that I need to hand over to God? How can I remind myself to go to God first, before trying to handle everything alone?

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for being my safe place to land when life feels too heavy. Help me remember that You don’t expect me to hold it all together. You simply want me to come to You. Teach me how to rest in Your presence and trust that You’re already working in the chaos.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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