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A Christian guide to ‘Navigating Motherhood’
Mom draws on Scripture to guide fellow mothers through daily life.
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Becky Brooks is something of a 21st century Church of Christ version of Erma Bombeck. I heard her speak at a women’s conference this spring where she had the hall laughing to the point of tears before pivoting to dispensing advice that had us grabbing for pens to jot down notes.
With four children in the home, Brooks is in the trenches of motherhood. She navigates her daily life with hilarity and some tears.
Becky Brooks. “Navigating Motherhood: Finding Your Way by Following Jesus.” Bel Esprit Books. 2020. 274 pages. $19.99.
Her book “Navigating Motherhood: Finding Your Way by Following Jesus” is set up as a weekly study and discussion guide divided into Day 1 through Day 5 of the twelve weekly lessons.
Week 1, Day 2, I was texting my friend who schedules the women’s small group Bible studies at our congregation to tell her about this guide. “Navigating Motherhood” is designed to fit a weekly small group gathering of moms, though it can be read and worked through independently.
Brooks’ “tell-on-herself” humor pops out of the pages, while her deep faith and devotion are interwoven into every encounter she has with her children as she and her husband lead them in the direction of knowing and loving God.
The weekly design follows the theme of navigation. Most of the days begin with an anecdote from the family, followed by a “You-Are-Here Question,” a “Drop-a-Pin Verse,” a “Direction Question” and a “Prayer Prompt.”
The majority of the questions call for yes/no responses, such as, “Is there an area where you may be basing your self-esteem on something other than who you are in Christ?”
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I encourage leaders and readers to turn all those yes/no questions into open-ended ones before answering. For example, “What are some ways you may be basing your self-esteem on something other than who you are in Christ?”
“Navigating Motherhood” is not a textual study and doesn’t direct readers to open their Bibles. But while the study could be completed without a Bible in hand, biblical events from the lives of Esther, Elijah and Peter (among others) are referenced and discussed.
Connie Penick and her son, Peyton, at Neema Village, a children’s home in Tanzania.
This would be a great time for study groups to read the entire event or chapter to dig deeper into Scripture. Verses are included in the text throughout. These would be great opportunities to have Bibles handy to compare wording, as Brooks frequently draws from more modern translations.
The prayer prompt is the last part of each day’s lesson and only has three blank lines provided. I encourage participants to see all that white space as an invitation to fill it up with prayers.
“‘Navigating Motherhood’ provides a guide and framework to turn … discussions into blessings, growth and encouragement with a constant reminder to turn it all over to Jesus and refocus the everyday occurrences of family life on him.”
Brooks’ insight into her children’s hearts and their relationship with God reminds us to see that God is in every moment of our lives and to guide our children in that direction as well. She gives specific examples of ways to parent children with love and grace and with forgiveness for them as well as for us.
I encourage Christian women to check out this resource to see whether it would be a fit for the moms in their congregation. Moms often get together to talk about the joys and difficulties of parenting already.
“Navigating Motherhood” provides a guide and framework to turn those discussions into blessings, growth and encouragement with a constant reminder to turn it all over to Jesus and refocus the everyday occurrences of family life on him.
CONNIE PENICK is the advertising director for The Christian Chronicle. She and her husband, Jay, worship with the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma City. Contact [email protected].
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