I’m going to be real honest with you. We have had a rough time in our house over the past two years, battling serious disrespect and disobedience. It has been discouraging, disheartening and flat-out exhausting.
My nearly eight-year-old spent six years as an only child. And though she adores (ADORES!) her baby sister, the changes in our family and our home have rocked that strong-willed first-born’s life something fierce. She has been helpful and sweet and loving and compassionate as we’ve all adjusted to being a family of four, but she’s also been rebellious and mouthy and melodramatic.
It’s been hard on all of us. Hard for my husband and me to figure out how to curb this behavior and hard on her as she comes face to face with the human struggle Paul so perfectly describes in Romans:
I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want to do,
but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
(Romans 7:18-19)
Lately, we’ve been so frustrated - me, feeling unsure of what parenting tactic to try next because NOTHING seems to work, and her, feeling powerless to change the behavior she knows in her heart is wrong.
So we spend our days, figuratively beating our heads against the wall and literally yelling and crying and yelling some more. But then, we finally come together in the [sometimes] [supposed-to-be] quiet moments before bedtime. And we pull out her favorite book for devotions and we remember: Nobody is perfect, and God loves and can use us anyway.
Last Christmas, my parents bought the same book I’d already bought and stored away for my daughter: For Such a Time as This by Angie Smith and Breezy Brookshire, a collection of 40 stories about women in the Bible. Each story comes alive with Angie’s beautiful language and Breezy’s intricate illustrations. And each one ends with a special section called, “He, Me, She.” In that section Angie pulls out the main points about what this story tells us about God and what it teaches us about ourselves, and then includes a prayer for parents to pray over their daughters.
As my daughter and I have slowed down and calmed down, night after night, to read through these stories, she noticed a pattern. After reading about real women who encountered Jesus and walked away changed, she asked me: “Mommy, why are these women all so bad?”
That simple question led us to talk about how making bad choices doesn’t make us bad people, and - even more importantly - how Jesus didn’t punish or yell at the woman at the well or the adulteress being accused. He loved them. He forgave them. And He changed their hearts and their lives.
For my highly emotional daughter and her short-tempered mother, that has been a reminder we need day in and day out. When both my bursts of impatience (often loud, sometimes ugly) and my calm questions are met with statements like, “I’m TRYING!” and “I don’t KNOW how to behave better!” and “I’m a horrible person!” we clearly need to stop, breathe, and remember God’s love and grace.
Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we need to begin reading this book twice, before school AND at bedtime!
Another surprising benefit to reading For Such a Time As This with my daughter is the prayer portion of each devotion. After listening to me pray the scripture over her several nights in a row, my daughter took the book out of my hands one evening. After I prayed for her, she wanted to pray for me.
Some of the words were a little bit above her reading level, but she stumbled through, filling in the blanks with “Mommy” where I had used her own name minutes before. My little girl wanted to pray for me.
Even after fighting all morning about what she would wear to school and then again over how long she would practice piano before dinner, she wanted to pray for me. Even after being asked to help her sister pick up toys that she hadn’t played with and being told, “Just a minute! Not now!” again, she wanted to pray for me.
SHE wanted to pray for ME. Wow. If ever I needed a picture of grace, that little girl is it. She needs my grace, and we both need God’s grace - but somehow, she effortlessly hands it to me. Day after day, no matter how long or full of frustration that day has been.
I don’t know what kind of “time” your family is going through right now. And I believe that the difficult season we’re in won’t last forever. But I am grateful for a book like For Such a Time As This that presents the biblical truth I know will be timely and heart-changing no matter what “time” we are in.
We’re so excited to give away two copies of this book!
Dayspring has kindly offered to give away two copies of For Such a Time As This, along with a beautiful journal, so you can dive into these stories and prayers with your own daughter. To enter, simply leave a comment telling us which story about a woman in the Bible speaks to you right now or what story you’d like to share with your daughter.
Winners will be selected randomly and announced next week, and must live in the U.S.
36 Comments
I have always loved the story of Esther. She doesn’t get an angel telling her what to do or a vision or anything, she just has to trust God in the middle of an originate life turned upside down, the same way we have to trust God each day. She shows faith and courage. Love it!
I’d like to read this with my 8-year-old daughter. She’s the only girl, an easy child, and sometimes it seems she gets lost between her older and younger brother. We’ll be moving back to the U.S. from Africa in about 2 weeks. Thanks for letting us know about it.
I love the story of the woman at the well. So full of grace and forgiveness. My 4 year old daughter has a hard time with being mouthy and over the top as well. This might be perfect!
I love Esther’s story and would love for my 6 year old daughter to grasp her courage and faith!
This book sounds perfect for my 10-year-old daughter. I especially love the story about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. She showed such faith, and His response showed that He cares about struggles that are unique to us as women.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. While we have one boy and one girl, your story still resonated with me because many times our daughter is overpowered by her older brother’s strong personality. I try to make sure that she is not left out of anything and that she doesn’t feel like “the second child”. And of course, we have some of the same arguments you mentioned about what clothes to where, what shoes to wear, etc. I would love to enjoy a copy of the book to have that little something special to share “just for the girls” between the two of us to draw us closer together and help us to extend our hearts more to accepting God’s grace for our relationship. As for a favorite female personality in the Bible, I love the story of Ruth and her faithfulness to a God and to a people that she came to love through her relationship with her mother-in-law; it is a certainly a story for us married women to emulate, especially if we tend to have shaky relationships with out M-I-Ls.
I would love to share all these stories with my 8 year old! Honestly, we both need them! She’s so much more dramatic and outgoing than I am, I need constant guidance on how to handle her! She’s a joy but grows me every day.
I really enjoy the story of Esther, and look forward to finding ways to bring the women of the bible to my THREE daughters in a way that they can understand and learn from. I LOVE that the book includes a guided way for moms to pray over their daughters! That is just what my eight year old needs (also strong-willed and very emotional. And going “that” stage).
Thank you for a post that lets me know I’m not alone in my struggle to raise my “spicy” first-born daughter. I love her dearly and know God doesn’t make mistakes, but it’s SO HARD!
Esther and Ruth. Both of those women’s stories speak to me on many different levels-such examples of strength, obedience, faithfulness, and love.
What a great book! This would make a great devotional for our family. I’d love to read the story of Ester. She has such great courage and boldness in standing up for what she believes is right. Both of those characteristics are ones I want my daughters to have.
This would be so great for me and my girls to read together!
I love stories about the brave mom’s who risked their lives for their children (Moses’ mom).
I like Mary Magdalene. She is proof that our God is bigger than our sins. He can use anyone - even a woman who had 7 demons cast out of her. Proof that God doesn’t choose the “perfect” people, but uses us and changes us right where we are. Thank Jesus!!
The story of Esther has always been a favorite of mine. She trusted God even when she didn’t understand what God was entrusting her with. The story reminds me that if you are obedient to God in one area, He will so often trust you in another area and when you look back, you realize that God was weaving a beautiful story…your story. For such a time as this…may we all remember that phrase when God asks us to trust Him.
I’d love to share the story of Esther with my daughters
My daughter and I are studying about hospitality. There’s so much to learn form the lives of Mary and Martha.
This looks like a beautiful resource for girls and moms!
Esther has always been my favorite biblical woman. I used to have a cassette tape with her story on it that I listened to every night before bed. My daughter loves princesses and she LOVES Disney’s Queen Elsa. This would be a great resource to share another strong woman who had the courage to stand up for herself and her people.
Ruth…she followed Naomi and the One True God and God rewarded her greatly. Her faith was amazing! And, after finishing a study of Ruth in college I met my Boaz the next week
Reading this post felt like I could have written it myself-with my own strong willed 6 year old girly and this short tempered mama! There have been many days when I’ve fallen emotionally exhausted into bed wondering how we are both going to get through this! I know it is only by God’s grace and lots of prayer! I would love to read this to my daughter and have these quiet conversations with her. Thanks for this post!
I can so relate to your post. My middle daughter challenges my patience and my ability to love well and offer grace. I love reading about Esther and how she placed her life in the hands of God for the sake of her people. I want my three daughters to be inspired by her faithfulness to stand up and speak out.
I have a foster daughter who I would love to start really sharing these stories with. She knows about God some, but I want to encourage her growth and curiousity with more encouragement through the Bible. I want to put more truth into her life. And she loves reading, so stories in form for kiddos are always appreciated!
What a precious book - I am especially loving the story of Mary and Martha and learning to sit at the feet of Jesus.
Mary and Esther
I know lots of people have said Esther already, but my young daughter is obsessed with all things princess right now. The other night my husband asked her if she wanted to hear a story about a “real” queen. So he has been going through the book of Esther with her over the past several nights before bed. Not sure how much of it she can grasp right now, but I am so thankful that there is an example in the bible of a real queen who did real things to help real people when she was empowered by the one real God. How much more significant that is than a bunch of fairy tales and poofy dresses…
I have 2 daughters and I would enjoy teaching them about any woman who served God with what they had, with all their heart. Being content but not settling for just good enough.
I love the story of Ester. I’d love to be able to go more in depth about women of the bible with my daughter.
all of them! My daughter would love this!
My family and I are all facing new changes and challenges. After being faced with the decision to leave my job after 10 years versus fight a legal battle, my husband and I chose that I would leave. My children grew up and went to school where I worked -literally went to school in my building—and we have upturned their lives. Our 12 year old daughter is in a new school as a seventh grader, playing sports with girls she’s never known; our 14 year old son is a freshman at a new school as well as at a center for math and science half the day. I am in a new job ironically in the same building as my husband. Although the changes are good and will be even better in the long run, our daughter, in particular, is overwhelmed with the changes in our routines and schedule. This would be a fantastic opportunity for us to share and grow in our faith!!!
I’d love to share the story of Ruth, showing the commitment to family, as a means to serve God, and the courage and bravery that accompanied her choices. We have a relatives son living with us likely forever, and she needs bravery to share me with this older brother, who vies for attention. I want her heart to see models of contentment and joy in Biblical women.
I would love to share the story of Hannah with my girls. She was so faithful in prayer.
Oh I would love to win a copy if this book. It has been on my wish list for a while now. I would love to read these stories with my daughter. The story of Esther is so wonderful and that we all have moments for such a time as this. God created us for His purpose and glory. I can’t wait to teach her about all the women in the bible and their faith in God.
I love the story of Mary. I am looking forward to if:equip’s upcoming series on women in the Old Testament!
We are currently going through a study of Esther and looking for ways that God is working. This sounds like a perfect companion book.
I have always loved the story of Hannah and her faith amidst the years of infertility and possible loss of previous pregnancies. As a loss mom myself, her story gave me hope through the years waiting for our rainbow baby (due in February!).
This sounds like an amazing book and I would love to have a copy!
My daughter just turned 12 two days ago and completely warmed my heart that night because she told me that she really wanted to start reading the Bible again, that she had skipped stories because she knew them, and now she felt guilty! Sigh! So we will be doing that, but this book seems like a treasure to delve a bit deeper and apply it more directly to her/my life. The ones I specifically want to share are Esther, Ruth, Mary…well, actually all of them cause they each can apply to us in different ways. Thanks for the chance!