By Stacy Bozarth
“Some women fear the fire. Others tend their God-given fire and use it to light up their hearts and the world. Let’s be THOSE women.” As I heard those words spoken in a video this week at MOPS, I literally cheered out loud. MOPS is our Mothers of Preschoolers group, and I am excited to be back in my role as a mentor mom. I am already feeling thankful to be in the room with a bunch of amazing younger (than me) women. As I heard those words I thought, “YES, not only do I want to be THAT woman, but I also want all of these women to be THOSE women.”
Maybe you’ve never given much thought to what kind of woman you want to be or what you want your legacy as a mother to be. But what if you took a minute and did just that? In our chaos-filled, distracted, and fast-paced world, sometimes we forget to slow down long enough to think through how our role as a mom is feeling to us and to our kids. I know I’ve done it. I have gotten so caught up in the “have-tos” “shoulds” and “want-tos” that I forget to ask myself, “How’s it going?” Really, how do I feel about my role as a mom? What parts do I like? What parts are really hard? What parts are valuable? What parts are fluff and distraction?
That’s why the theme of this year’s MOPS group, “Find Your Fire,” spoke to me so loudly. We moms do hard and meaningful work. I believe we set the rhythm for the dance of the family. That’s a LOT of responsibility, but I also believe God equips us for this work. However, we can get weary, worn down, isolated, and discouraged, which can dim the passionate spark and light in our hearts. That’s why we need each other and the grace of God.
MOPS beautifully incorporates both of those ingredients as we sit together, laugh together, cry together, encourage each other, inspire each other, and pray together. Although I’m no longer the mother of a preschooler, I am and always will be a mom. And mamas, we must do this together. Let’s be those women whose God-given fire lights up the world.
If you are the mother of a preschooler and would like some quality time with other moms in the same season of life, MOPS is for you! As a mentor mom for MOPS, not only would I like to encourage you to check out our Acts 2 MOPS group, which meets the first Thursday of each month from 10:00-11:30 a.m., but I’d also love to cheer you on for the amazing woman you are and will be!
