Dear church family,

It has been such a whirlwind being back with you after the birth of our son, Simon! I hope most of you have had a chance to meet him. If not, I’m sure you will soon.

I thought it fitting to share with you some of my reflections since becoming a mom for the first time since it is, truly, one of the most amazing things I’ve experienced in my life so far.

One of my favorite things about motherhood so far are the moments in the middle of the night when I get to nurse Simon, both of us half asleep. To stay awake, one of the things I’ve been doing is using these moments to pray over him. There aren’t many things more precious and intimate than being able to breastfeed your baby, and I’m so thankful that I get to do that.

But almost as much time as I spend praying, I also find myself worrying about being a good parent, asking things like:

-Am I being a good parent right now?

-What kind of parent does Simon need me to be?

-Am I doing this whole thing wrong?

-What do I do if I fail in some way?

Though I spend time pondering how I’m doing as a parent and worrying at times, I’ve also been reminded of a promise from Scripture, in Isaiah 49. God’s people felt forgotten and forsaken. And in verse 14, it says:

“Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’

That is a hard verse to read, but also so familiar to many, I’m sure. At times, we feel as if God has forgotten about us. But then, this is God’s response in the next verse: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” What a wonderful and comforting promise! Being a mom now, I know just how hard it would be to forget about my child. But even my remembering falls short in light of God’s faithfulness to remember us.

I pray every day that God would help me and equip me to be the best parent I can be, and I pray over Simon, that he would know how much he is loved by me and, most importantly, by God. That’s a hard prayer, because I want to be the one who loves him the most! I want to be the one who is always there for my boy.

But the reality is I won’t always do right by him. I will fail sometimes. But I can take joy in knowing that God won’t ever fail Simon. Simon will never be forgotten or forsaken by God. And that promise extends to all of God’s children.

If you have ever felt like you’ve been forgotten, or if you’ve worried that you’ll forget someone else or fail them, rest in the assurance that God is faithful to remember. Praise God for his love for us!