In 2010, I made the bold and brave decision to “cross the divide” and move from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. I know. Who would do such a thing, right?
What I didn’t know then (that I obviously know now) is that there are a LOT of people in Minnesota who would never do this (and they have a lot of opinions about it, too). Yet to me, we’re ALL Minnesotans at the end of the day, right? We all love tater tot hotdish, crying loons, and summertime, so shouldn’t this be enough to unite us?
But it’s not always. And it’s not always in motherhood either.
I had no idea how intense making mom friends would be until I moved into the cul-de-sac of motherhood – tired and exasperated – and found my insecurities rising each time a new opinion came at me like a Cheerio in a snack cup. Most of these opinions were well-intentioned, of course (even though many of them were unsolicited), but I understand; I get it. Motherhood is personal!
It’s not like we’re raising little greenhouse babies who require a little bit of sun and moisture to survive in their cute little containers, are we? No. We’re raising walking, talking humans who will one day stroll the earth and hopefully make a difference for Christ! Ah! That’s enough to get anyone’s opinions spinning, right?
But God wants more from us, ladies. He wants us to know that while, yes, our opinions do matter, they aren’t more important than leading with kindness, humility, and gentleness first.
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)
When we lead with compassion, we get to really listen to one another, even when our insides wail, But there’s a better way to do that!
When we lead with gentleness, we get to help each other even when we disagree on major life issues.
When we lead with humility, we get to live a life full of conviction because of Christ’s love IN us! (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Ladies, if we can do this, we will truly see that it doesn’t matter if you work full-time and I don’t; if you’re a mentor and I’m not; if you choose to homeschool and I wear a Quiet Hat all the time just to control my #momrage. (Seriously. How does anyone get through the day without one?! Just sayin’.)
All that matters, then, is that we are ALL MOMS WHO LOVE JESUS!
Wow. Doesn’t that make you wanna do some Chuck Norris kicks in your yoga pants??! (Because come on, no one can kick that high in jeans…unless you’re a toddler. Or Chuck Norris.)
Lest I digress…
What unites us is ALWAYS stronger than what divides us. And that’s why we’ve started this blog!
Our hope at Substance Moms is that this will be a place for ALL moms to unite – regardless of age, ethnicity, place of employment, or marital status. We feel that by crossing the divide we will allow God to teach us, inspire us, and change us … through each other!! This is so important because when we align as one body, we get to continue being the bricks (who are raising bricks – ha!) who will keep building up his church (Ephesians 2:20).
Therefore, this blog will seek to unite us with a variety of voices and in a variety of ways: through weekly devotions, “intentional motherhood” posts, and “hacks and humor” tips. Our prayer is that you will read and connect; build relationships and find your tribe; get inspired and start a ministry; spend time with Jesus and be transformed. The options are endless… BUT it’s up to us.
It’s up to us, then, to fully realize how special and CHOSEN we are by God, and that this birthright CALLS us to walk into the light, hand-in hand (or by doing ninja kicks), so that we may inspire others to make a generational impact too.
I don’t know about you, but I want this for myself, and I want it for my kids and their kids too; I want this for you as well.
So, let’s pack up our bags and “cross the divide” into freedom, truth, and love, shall we? I promise that when we do, God will have BIGGER and BETTER things waiting for us on the other side. Cause where we’re going, there’s no room for comparison or fear anyway.
There’s only room for HIM.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3:17-18)
Jonna Meidal is a mother to 3 girls who seeks to parent them by the fruits of the spirit (and her Quiet Hat). She’s been to 20 countries (yay!), loves to write & laugh (a LOT), & can’t get through the day without eating popcorn (duh!). You can read more of what she’s been up to at jonnameidal.com or follow her adventures on Instagram @quiet.hat.adventures.