As I was looking at this week’s 5 Minute Friday* (something I often do to challenge my writing) the prompt word is ‘Crowd”. I started thinking about Jesus and crowds.

Jesus was often flocked by crowds of people. They came to him because they wanted something from him. They wanted his wisdom or his healing power, some wanted to be with him because they thought he was going to be their political saviour from the Romans.

Though Jesus gave to the crowds he didn’t get anything from them.

Jesus pulled away from the crowds and got his strength from his Father.
His identity and purpose came from his Father.
His wisdom came from his Father
His power came from his Father.

After Jesus spent time with his Father – he was sent back into the crowd. Each and every time.

Crowd…

How are you doing with the demands that come in your life? Are you looking for validation from the crowd? Are you looking to the crowd for your identity and purpose? Is the opinion of the crowd shaping your thoughts and feelings about yourself and what you should be doing (or are doing)?

Who is the crowd in your life?
Is the crowd your children?
Is the crowd your friends and family?
Is the crowd the popular thought in our society?

As a mum we can get our identity, our purpose, our place in the world from having our children around us. And yes, it is a role we fill and we need to do that role well – but our identity and purpose is more than our role of being a mother. Our identity and purpose, our strength and our wisdom comes when we draw away from the crowd – and talk to our heavenly Father.

Well, that’s the end of my 5 minutes of writing. 

*5 Minute Friday is all about writing for 5 minutes on a given prompt – no editing.  But I’m still thinking …

This week I’ve been thinking about our identity and in particular I’ve been thinking about the mums whose kids have grown up – whether they have homeschooled and are now done, or whether their kids went to school and have now graduated… either way – our life as a mum changes – a lot.

One of our identities while our kids are kids is that we are a mum, a hands on mum.  We teach, encourage, prompt, guide, support our kids – it is what we do. And when they become an adult – this changes.  Sure, we are still there to encourage and support them in whatever ways we can – but it is different.

One of the questions we ask ourselves is – who are we now?  We are no longer a stay at home mum, no longer a homeschool mum, no longer a soccer mum, no longer the carpool mum, or whatever mum who were – who are you now?

And this is where my thoughts connect with what I wrote on ‘crowd’.  

When we come to a change in one of our roles in life – we need to pull away from the crowd and listen to what our heavenly Father has to say to us.

Listen to him say – you are loved for being you, not because you are a mum, not because you raised great kids …

Listen to him say – you have purpose on this world – my plans are not done with you yet…

Listen to him say – get to know me …

Many years ago – Jessica was just a baby – I was ironing and listening to a tape (yes a tape!) and heard the story of a church that had taken in and loved on this young single mum-to-be, but come the time to look for a birthing partner/friend there wasn’t one woman who was free to be on call.  This story hooked into my heart. My cry to God was when my kids are grown up I want to be free to help women in need.

Well I’m in that season of life now – my kids have grown up, and though they still need my support at times, I am so much more available than I used to be.

To find purpose in this season of life where I am no longer homeschooling, no longer intensely parenting I have to pull away from the crowd and listen to my heavenly Father.   What is it He wants me to do?

The crowd (society) has its own perspective – the crowd tells women to get a job, it tells retirees to travel, it tells you that you deserve this or that.  And I am certainly okay with getting a job, or travel or whatever – that is not the point. The point is – what does God want of me in this season of my life – the crowd is not reliable wisdom.

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