Christian Books For When Motherhood Gets Messy and Hope In The Waiting

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I find myself thinking about and praying for all the moms out there who are struggling. This post is all about when motherhood gets messy- in any possible way. There are mothers who fight hard to hold a baby in their arms, as they suffer through infertility. There are moms buried in grief and loss, feeling the emptiness and pain of a life without their child. There are moms who are in an agonizing battle with a wayward child, trying to make sense of this turn in the road as they face countless difficult decisions in how to parent their kid through such circumstances. There are moms stuck in an excruciating period of waiting, and clinging to hope in God’s promises through this journey that can be exhausting and unpredictable.

Yeah.

Motherhood is messy.

Unpredictable.

Exhausting.

Agonizing.

Maddening.

And we are called to this extraordinary journey with the promise of God’s will and God’s Hand on it all.

If you are one of these precious moms- drowning in the sobering reality of any of what was mentioned above- I have some books for you.

This first book is one every Christian parent needs to read if you are faced with a child who has veered from a Godly path. From this broken world, comes broken people, and there is no exception when it comes to Christian families. Oh but the shame, the anger, and the fear that transpires, when a child makes decisions that detour their life into harrowing places of addiction, recklessness, unplanned pregnancy, life on the streets, sexual sin, and more. There are countless roads our kids can take into the world full of prodigal pathways and these options are surrounding them every day, no matter how much we want to protect them. Many parents are trying to love their kids through hard choices and find peace in managing the mess. If you are a Christian parent struggling with a prodigal child, Lori Wildenberg’s book, “Messy Journey- How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home” is the book you need right now.

Messy Journey offers comforting encouragement, biblical wisdom, and gracious guidance for any Christian parent who is struggling with a prodigal child. I was struck by the incredible testimonies in this book, shared by both the parents and the kids going through difficult circumstances.  I really appreciated their perspective. Knowing there are other parents who struggle with similar issues can be such a relief and reading how they handled many situations was very helpful. I know so many parents who desperately need a resource like this! It is packed full of support and Godly assurance, both critical in helping parents face and endure heartbreaking issues with their children. I highly recommend it for any Christian parent who finds themselves in the trenches of their own “Messy Journey”.

I promise you will be filled with the gracious encouragement and support you need as you endure this difficult journey with your child. You can buy it on Amazon here.

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The next book is for all those heartbroken moms who have struggled with infertility. Nina Leicht-Crist has shared her personal struggles and incredible story in her Memoir, “Love, Faith, and Infertility- A Story of Hope and Special Forces.”  I am half way through this book now, and I am amazed at the extraordinary challenges Nina had to endure in trying to conceive a child. She walks you through every attempt in battling her infertility for 13 years! She describes her harrowing efforts in having a successful conception through two vasectomy reversals (Poor hubs!), six In-Vitro Fertilizations with Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injections, two frozen embryo transfers, and three miscarriages. I can’t even imagine. She also shares intricate details about her beautiful enduring marriage, her experience with raising step children, her transforming faith, and the challenges of being a traveling, supportive military wife. Her fierce strength and limitless hope through it all is inspiring.

If any of these experiences resonate with you, then this book will be an encouraging and enlightening read. There is an overwhelming relief and comfort when we can discover others who have experienced similar circumstances and walking alongside one another can give us strength and support when we need it most.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

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And finally, this beautiful book is for all the moms who are under the heavy weight of waiting. (See what I did there?) What woman likes to wait? Waiting can be unbearable, exhausting, and discouraging in any journey we’re on. Trusting in God’s timeline and not our own is one of the greatest challenge we face, yes? Oh, it can be maddening, and often disheartening when we are stuck in the wait.

My dear friend Elizabeth Laing Thompson has written an amazing book “When God Says Wait- Navigating life’s detours and delays without losing your faith, your friends, or your mind” that speaks to this difficult place we all face often. Her beautiful and personal insights and encouragement will pull you through those agonizing times of questioning and build your faith back up into God’s promises and purpose for your life.

In her book, she walks us through some of the most powerful stories in God’s Word, as she re-creates the experiences of these well known characters: Miriam, Sarah, Hannah, Naomi, David, Jacob, Ruth, Mary, Gideon, Joseph, Martha, and Abraham. Elizabeth has a gift for diving into each of their struggles with such relatable descriptions that take you deeper into their view, their emotions, their story- and leave you feeling like you have walked alongside them through the wait. She offers a personal touch with anecdotes from her own life experiences and reaches out to the reader through her compassionate and warm signature style of writing. She asks important questions for us all to answer about the situations we are in and how we can apply the lessons learned through each story. I love how she wraps up each chapter with journal prompts and prayers, so we can prayerfully consider the biblical wisdom she outlines and apply it to our own situations.

This book is such a wonderful way to learn more about these profound stories of the Bible, and dive deeper into growing our faith in the in between seasons of our lives. Although it is such a great resource for moms, it is also just as useful for any Christian woman who wants to fuel her faith while stuck in the waiting season of her life. We can all grow through learning more details about powerful biblical lessons through the eyes of these prolific people God uses to encourage us all in our own Christian walk. This book is a compilation of personal testimony, biblical wisdom, and encouraging assurance. The perfect combination for us Christian women who love connection, contemplation, and camaraderie as we walk with the Lord through life’s sanctifying seasons. You can buy it HERE.

I hope these books speak to moms who are struggling in their journey. I pray they bring you hope and inspiration and encouragement as you continue to forge ahead on your fateful path, with a God who goes before you every step of the way.

May you hear His whispers, heed His call, and hold on to His Promises.

That is my prayer for you this Mother’s Day.