Today, I review Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God by Gloria Furman.
For a book about motherhood, you may assume that the pages are filled with practical tips for managing your home, discipline techniques or potty training.
This is not that book.
Gloria Furman writes this book about motherhood for the woman who makes disciples.
The words are not limited only to the woman who has children, but for the woman who teaches, mentors and passes on the baton of faith to the next generation of women.
She writes, “Every woman is created to nurture (mother) the life that God himself creates”
The main idea of her book is that, “Jesus invites women to missional motherhood: to follow his pattern, to trust his promises, and to nurture others by the power he provides.”
In the first part of the book, she talks about God’s plan of salvation through the Old Testament, as He nurtures His creation, choosing the nation of Israel to bring about the chosen Seed for salvation.
She points us to the redemptive history of God, who first nurtures us. Through His grand plan unfolding, we see the beauty of the Gospel shine through. We are fed by His Word, restored through the life, death and resurrection of Christ and cared for by the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
Then, the second part teaches us how Christ is central to our nurturing, that He is the creator, redeemer, prophet and priest for our motherhood. She reminds us that the purpose of our mothering is to make disciples, that we nurture resurrection life in the face of death.
As Gloria writes about nurturing, I found myself really thinking through how I mother, and whether or not it qualifies as nurturing. More often than not, I think of my mothering as a job that I do, a role I fulfill by keeping life organized, my family fed and hockey skates sharpened; that I’m a mom because of what I do.
When I think about nurturing, I think about a growing plants, watering them and
paying attention to their leaves, how they are growing, noticing if they are wilty or changing color; this isn’t about what I do, but rather what I notice and pay attention to.
So I am reminded that, yes, there is the “doing” of being a mom, but there is the very heart of mothering found in the “noticing”. I am challenged to continue paying attention and be more aware of what’s going on with my kids, and with those I mentor. To sit and study them, to see their heart and their longings, and to be intentional in our times together.
In a life where studying, work and activities can fluster and fill my to-do list, this message is a very timely reminder for me!
When life is full with family and activities, this book leads us back to the Gospel and it's centrality to our motherhood; that we nurture those around us, making disciples, keeping our eyes fixed on the grand plan of God through the ages, as revealed in His Word, to empower our mission for His kingdom.
So, if this sounds like a topic that resonates with you, pick up her book! I gave it 4 stars and recommend it!
How has nurturing been a part of your ‘mothering’?
I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Crossway Blog Review program, in return for an honest review.
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