As the mother of three, I’ve picked up quite a few devotional books for moms over the years. So when I started reading Cherished Gifts by Katie Martin, I was expecting much of the same. But this is not your average devotional. It is filled with anecdotes and experiences—some funny, some poignant—that any mother can relate to: a preschooler’s endless questions, settling squabbles among siblings, waking up to a bed full of kids after a thunderstorm, sending a child off for a first day of school, bedtime struggles, dealing with fears (our kids’ as well as our own), trying to be a “supermom.” These are devotions written specifically for moms by a mom that we all can relate to. Katie’s not a mom who claims to have all the answers, but a mom who shares the same struggles, frustrations, and joys as we do.
But this is not just a book full of funny anecdotes and parenting advice. It contains Scriptural depth and wisdom seldom found in other devotional books for moms. Motherhood is all about perspective—keeping things in perspective, that is. But in the stress and demands of daily life, we can lose perspective. As Katie Martin writes, “We’d love to go behind a closed door, read the Bible and pray, but sometimes we can’t find a door without a runny-nosed kid or a pile or laundry behind it.” These devotions are full of reminders that while these “cherished gifts” of ours require great amounts of patience and stamina and come with great responsibility—passing on the promises of God’s Word to them through our words and actions—we are not alone. God is always there to guide us and encourage us. And when things do go well? These devotions are also reminders to give praise and thanks to the One responsible for those blessings. And on those days when you’re not feeling like the “supermom” you (or society) think you should be, the devotions remind us that our true worth is found in the fact that we are dearly loved daughters of a Father who took care of our greatest need and will meet all our other needs according to his good and gracious will, reminders that maybe we’re focusing too much on what we are not and can’t do and not on what He is and has done.
As an added bonus, at the end of each devotion is a short paragraph called “Strength From God’s Word,” which offers a short Scripture reading and a few questions for further reflection/study. This makes it perfect for mom’s groups or just a couple moms getting together with their little ones for a playdate.
Christian moms know that in order to fill our children with the truths and promises of Scripture, we ourselves need to be filled up. By growing and nurturing our own faith, those truths and promises flow into the lives of our children. Cherished Gifts will not only help grow your own faith, but your children’s faith as well.
By Kristine Laufer
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Cherished Gifts by Katie Martin © 2015 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.