Trusting God with the Impossible as Mothers

There's been a book that has been a comfort to me in my walk with the Lord as I parent a prodigal by Ruth Bell Graham called Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement For Those Who Wait. Waiting on a prodigal is hard, and this isn't a how-to book but a book of prayers and promises and meditations in the Word for troubled hearts.

'We mothers must take care of the possible and trust God for the impossible.'Click to Tweet

One section of the book that was a comfort to me and my hope is it will be to you too – whether you have a prodigal or not was the section titled: The Possible and the Impossible.

Ruth Bell Graham writes:

“We mothers must take care of the possible and trust God for the impossible. We are to love, affirm, encourage, teach, listen, and care for the physical needs of the family.

We cannot convict of sin, create hunger and thirst after God or convert. These are miracles and miracles are not in our department.”

She then gives us two columns of our part and God's part:

My Part (the possible):

Love Expressed

To pray intelligently, logically, urgently, without ceasing in faith

To enjoy being a mother

Provide a warm, happy home

Minister to their physical and emotional needs as I am able

God's Part (the impossible):

Conviction of Sin

Creating a hunger and thirst for righteousness

Conversion

Bringing to the place of total commitment

Showing ourselves as we really are (without ever discouraging us!)

Continually filling us with His Holy Spirit for our sanctification and His service

(Above taken from Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait)

Loving Your Prodigal

This is a hard season and at times can be difficult to give thanks to the Lord in and through it, but I can attest this season has strengthened my own faith and caused me to dwell deeply in His Word and in prayer for my prodigal and other lost family and friends too.

It has given me compassion towards others who are dealing with difficult situations and cause me to repent of areas of my life when I found myself judging others not understanding what it was like to walk in their shoes.

Your child or spouse is without Christ so we can't expect them to act or behave as a Christian. What they need most from you is the love and care of Christ shown to them. We can so easily do this to the lost around us that are not in our family so how much more should we be loving those well that are lost within our own families. Speak the truth when you can and when it fits the situation or conversation – don't force Christ upon them. Your life is a light for Christ (Matt 5:14). Your child has most likely grown up around the truth of the Gospel and knows it well. It does not have to be part of every conversation with them.

If you have a friend with a prodigal child, love them well, ask about their child, ask how they are doing and continue to pray for them. If you have a relationship with their prodigal reach out to them because not many Christian people will be and trust me, they are continually praying for those who know and love Christ to influence their child's life.

If you have a prodigal child, you are not to blame – read the reminder above of doing the possible while trusting God with the impossible. God is the author of salvation. It would be just as wrong for me to take credit for a child in the faith as if I did something to cause that as to take the blame for a child outside the faith. When we do this, we are living by a mentality of works righteousness. You did nothing to contribute to your own salvation, and you can do nothing to contribute to the salvation of another person.

I'd love to share with you some resources that have been a help to me in this season the Lord has me in. I pray you will rest in His perfect peace and find comfort in our God who is sovereign and working all things together for good and His glory. May you find your hope in Him alone.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

~ Matthew 19:26

Articles:

A Mother's Heart on Praying for Her Prodigal @Revive Our Hearts

Pray Them Home: Three Prayers for Prodigal Children @Desiring God

12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child @Focus on the Family

Parenting Teenagers in Grace University @HeadHeartHand Blog

What Should We Do When They Stray? @Feeding On Christ

Books:

Come Back Barbara by Jack Miller

Prayers for Prodigals: 90 Days of Prayer for Your Child by James Banks

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait by Ruth Bell Graham

Letting Go: Rugged Love for Wayward Souls by Dave Harvey & Paul Gilbert

Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams are Delayed by Betsy Childs Howard

Audio:

Trusting God with Our Children with Nancy Guthrie – @Risen Motherhood

God in Your Most Desperate Situation @Revive Our Hearts

Hope + Help for Hurting Parents by Brad Bigney

Loving Wayward Souls Conference @IBCD

Out of a Far Country @Revive Our Hearts

Gospel-Centered Parenting @Family Life Today with Todd Friel

“In every situation in our lives, God is always doing a thousand different things that we cannot see and we do not know.”

~ John Piper