“Wannabe Omnipresent.” It’s an interesting term, don’t you think? It’s the title of chapter three in a book I am currently reading, Surrender Your Junior God Badge by Jackie Kendall. It is a great read. And that’s coming from someone whose first choice of a downtime activity is not reading. But this past summer, the Lord convicted me that if I was going to be used by Him on any sort of level in our ministry — that I need to read more. Therefore, I made a commitment to read 15 minutes every day.
I found this particular chapter so encouraging. Let me give you some background. My son is a competitive runner and there is nothing that I love to do more than to watch him run, especially when he runs really well. Last fall, I missed his best race of his freshman year (in my opinion — he might say differently). It was his regional meet and he out-sprinted two seniors in the last 800 meters of the 5K course. My husband caught a portion of last few seconds on video, so I was able see it over and over and over again. But there was this part of me that was sad that I missed it live.
You see, I always try to go to his meets. But that particular race was rescheduled. Since the date was originally “open” on the calendar, I planned a retreat with some amazing moms that had just finished a study together. When I received the email from the coach with the new date, I felt I could not miss the retreat. Almost all of the women could go, and God had laid out the weekend retreat plans so perfectly. I made the decision to miss the meet and attend the retreat. My son was “OK” that I would not be able to be there for him. He understood the situation. It turned out to be an amazing retreat. One that I won’t soon forget. Yet, there was a small ache that I missed that meet.
I am so thankful for this chapter in the book because it’s shown me that I cannot be nor should I be a “Wannabe Omnipresent” mom in my children’s lives. There are going to be scheduling conflicts with what God has for me and what God has for them.
Mamas, there is freedom in knowing that you don’t have to be omnipresent because Jesus is Omnipresent. He’s the only one that can do it all … perfectly. “God doesn’t miss a thing — He’s alert to good and evil alike.” Proverbs 15:3 – The Message
Sometimes, I think the Lord gave my kids a love for cross country to help me in a practical manner to realize I cannot be omnipresent. You see, cross country is not like other sports where they play on a basketball court, football field, or a baseball field. In cross country most of the time you don’t see them. You can’t help but wonder are they OK? Are they in first place? Are they last? It has been great training ground for me to experience that Jesus is always “running” with them! Be encouraged. Jesus is with your kids too whether they are in school, at a friend’s house, or off to college. He is with them. This is not an occasion to slack off on parental duties (it’s our job to keep tabs on them), but it is an invitation to peace.
I encourage you to read Jackie’s book. I have no doubt it will speak to you too.
Get your copy:
Surrender Your Junior God Badge: Every Woman’s Battle with Control
Faye Morgan, founder of Next Level Moms, has been involved in women’s ministry for more than 20 years. Her heartbeat is to connect, inspire and equip moms to a more fulfilling mom life. She lives in South Florida with her husband Scott and enjoys being the mom of 2 competitive long distance runners, having lunch with friends, and watching movies in her spare time.
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