My Review
I really enjoyed reading through this devotional for new moms, especially since I am preparing now to welcome home a new baby in just a few short weeks. The best part of Mommy Time is that I don't think it necessarily has to only be for the new mom. It has been a great reminder to me of my past with Hayden as a new mommy and also in preparation for our new little guy.
Sarah is great at relating her motherhood beginnings to scripture and helping you not feel alone in mommyhood. Much of the devotions are about her story as a mom but I completely related to her from the start with her less than desired birthing story to her reflecting on trying to understand who this new little person is now and who they will become. This book will help you to see yourself in a new way through your baby with honoring the Lord as your desired outcome through motherhood.
From now on this book will be at the top of my list of go-to gifts for new mommies and maybe some not so new mommies. Those first days & months & even years can be hard as a mom, especially trying to find time for Bible study. What mom can say no to a great & easy way to incorporate scripture reflection into daily life. My plan is to re-read this devotional once little mister is here and just one at each feeding and you would finish it in just a couple weeks.
Author Q & A
Sarah Arthur on Mommy Time
What is your hope for this book, Mommy Time? One of the best ways I’ve found to stay balanced during the crazy transition of motherhood has been to talk with other moms. And that’s what I hope this book is: a conversation, a story, one new mom sharing with other new moms what God is doing in her life. In that sense it’s less a devotional book than a memoir, or maybe a devotional memoir, tracking my spiritual reflections during the first three months of my son’s life.
Tell me about the personal experience(s) that prompted you to write such a book. As a new mom, I felt totally overwhelmed by bringing a human being into our lives, not to mention all my bodily changes and the relentlessness of caregiving. Yes, there are lots of joys! But motherhood is hard. I thought it was important to be honest about that. So often Christians are tempted to sugarcoat their experience and cover it up with sentimentality. I wanted to open up a space for other moms to acknowledge their experience and say, “God is okay with the fact that I’m having a hard time. And God is here.”
How did you write this book as a busy new mom? Why was it important for you to do so? A major shout-out to my husband and my son’s grandparents: I could not have written this book without them. When Micah was tiny, I didn’t write a thing. But writing is in my blood, in my bones. It’s one of the ways I connect with God. So in those early days, I couldn’t help thinking, “I’ve got to remember this moment, this thought. I need to write it down someday.” Once we finally settled into a routine, and I had childcare lined up, the writing began—and so did the opportunity to breathe, to spend time in God’s presence. It was a gift.
God is in control. Why is this truth so important for new moms? We live in a culture of
fear: fear for our kids’ safety, fear that we won’t measure up as parents, fear that our
children will flunk life, etc. And retailers prey on that fear. So we are surrounded by
magazines and books and websites that try to sell us things to give us a false feeling of
control. But the truth is, every day I have to unclench my fist and release Micah into the
care of the One who made him in the first place. And that’s hard. But if I can practice it
now, I can do it when Micah walks out the door with the car keys. Hopefully.
What encouragement would you provide to the new mom who is overwhelmed and
feeling lost? You are not alone. Lots of moms, including me, fall into the trap of
presenting ourselves as totally together—which just perpetuates that feeling of
isolation, like you’re the only one flunking motherhood. But we are all there, sister. I’m
sitting here at my laptop unshowered with no idea what to make for dinner tonight,
checking my phone fifty-seven times a minute to make sure Micah’s day care isn’t
texting me about some crisis. So we’re in this together. And meanwhile, we have a God
who holds us and our children in the palm of his hand, who isn’t particularly concerned
that the same load of laundry has been in the washer for three days. We rest in grace.
In your book, you say that “motherhood is itself a spiritual discipline.” What do you
mean by this? Christians often talk about certain spiritual actions or practices that bring
us into the presence of God, that deepen our relationship with Jesus. We talk about
Bible study, prayer, worship, serving others, etc. But through motherhood, I’ve realized
that we can also seek God in the everyday ordinariness of caregiving. The working class,
the poor, the enslaved, and illiterate Christians have been doing this for centuries
without ten minutes each morning to pray or read Scripture. It is not beneath us to pray
while folding laundry. In fact, there is a sense in which having such focus requires more
discipline. If we let God in, motherhood can help us grow stronger spiritual muscles and
become more like Jesus.
You endeavor to help moms cultivate “awareness of God’s presence in the small
things, in the daily tasks of caring for infants.” Can you provide an example of this? It
was my husband who began praying for my son’s body while giving him a bottle—since
there isn’t much else to do besides sit there. He prays for Micah’s little feet, that he will
stand strong in the Lord; for his legs, that he will walk with Jesus all his days; for his
stomach, that he will “feed” on God’s Word; etc.—all the way up. Rather than texting or
talking on the phone or checking Facebook, we can take those moments and turn our
thoughts toward God.
In your book, you say that the idea of being a new mother “both exhilarates and terrifies me.” Can you explain what you mean by this? Motherhood is exhilarating because it’s a new adventure, a new challenge (for those who like such things), a chance to do something deeply and eternally meaningful. But it’s also terrifying—for all those same reasons. Adventures are difficult. They hurt, they change us, and not always for the better. And what if we mess things up? A whole new generation of humans will have us to thank for their years of therapy. But even deeper, there’s the reality of loss. We don’t want to look down the years (or sooner) and see the inevitable goodbye. And yet we have a God who, as a Parent, knows all those joys and heartbreaks.
As a new mom, what is the best advice or encouragement that you have received? Go easy on yourself. Nobody cares that you haven’t showered. Really. And if they do, hand them the baby and say, “Thank you for helping.” Then soak in the tub for a long, long time. Because someday soon our kids will start to pick up on the fact that we really don’t mean it when we claim God is in control. But he is.
In your book, you say that the idea of being a new mother “both exhilarates and terrifies me.” Can you explain what you mean by this? Motherhood is exhilarating because it’s a new adventure, a new challenge (for those who like such things), a chance to do something deeply and eternally meaningful. But it’s also terrifying—for all those same reasons. Adventures are difficult. They hurt, they change us, and not always for the better. And what if we mess things up? A whole new generation of humans will have us to thank for their years of therapy. But even deeper, there’s the reality of loss. We don’t want to look down the years (or sooner) and see the inevitable goodbye. And yet we have a God who, as a Parent, knows all those joys and heartbreaks.
As a new mom, what is the best advice or encouragement that you have received? Go easy on yourself. Nobody cares that you haven’t showered. Really. And if they do, hand them the baby and say, “Thank you for helping.” Then soak in the tub for a long, long time. Because someday soon our kids will start to pick up on the fact that we really don’t mean it when we claim God is in control. But he is.
Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers who provided me with a complimentary copy of this book