My Journey Through Motherhood

Jessica CerulloBy Jessica Cerullo4 Minutes

As the mother of young children, I’ve learned a lot already on my motherhood journey. The Lord has blessed me with two beautiful children, Victoria and Josiah.

I’ve also been given the great privilege of sharing in the life of Ben’s son, Joel. I thank God for these three precious children He has given me to love and nurture.

The gift of motherhood is a wonderful blessing, but it also comes with great responsibility. God’s Word gives us several specific assignments as parents raising our children:

  • Teaching them God’s Word so they can walk in truth and keep His commands (Deuteronomy 11:18-21, Psalm 78:5-7).
  • Training them through a life of integrity and showing them a Godly example to follow (Proverbs 22:6).
  • Discipling them so they can grow in righteousness (Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:5-11).
  • Nurturing them with unconditional love and acceptance—through an atmosphere where they can flourish, yet have the freedom to fail (Titus 2:4-5, Ephesians 6:4).

My heart is to please the Lord, and I want to do my best in following His instructions in raising my children. But to be honest, there are days where I feel completely inadequate. Like many young moms, I often feel there’s not enough of me to go around.

A mother has so many different roles. She has to be a spiritual leader, counselor, teacher, disciplinarian, nurse, cook, cleaner, entertainer, encourager, peacemaker, chauffeur, wardrobe consultant, relationship advisor, and the list goes on. It’s impossible to feel like I’ve completely satisfied all of these things all the time.

I’ve concluded that it’s OK to fall short at times. It’s alright to sometimes have waffles for dinner, for the house to be messy, the laundry still dirty, and the dishes undone for the sake of spending time pouring my life into my precious children.

Even as I’m helping my children grow, the Lord is growing me too! When I feel overwhelmed, it’s a great reminder that I need Him as my strength, my joy, my peace, my encourager, and my guide.

I know my role will continue to grow and change in order to meet the needs of my growing children. I’ve already gone from being “Mama” to “Mommy,” and now just “Mom.” But one thing will remain the same no matter how old my children are: my love for them!

The day will come when my children won’t come running to me, wanting to be played with or held. So for now I want to enjoy every moment I have with them, filling those moments with love and laughter as well as instruction and purpose. I’ve been given the most important job of my life—raising future warriors for God’s Kingdom!

My love for my children has helped me catch a glimpse of just how much the Lord loves us as His children. I pray that Victoria, Josiah, and Joel will come to know His love in a deep and intimate way.

 I Want to Learn More About the Love of the Lord