Today a friend messaged me, asking when I had helped start MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) in Rock Rapids, Iowa. The local paper is doing a story about MOPS in Lyon County and they were looking for some more info.
I could remember what year we started, but I did a little digging and finally found my old MOPS files. Our first meeting was September 23, 1997.
As you can see in this post’s graphic, that was a long time ago. I had only three children then (Erin was 4, Allison was 3, and Blake was 2 months).
I looked through my file and found the brochure I had designed and printed myself. There was a schedule for the year with all of the speakers we had lined up. There was a roster of all of the moms and their contact info.
Waves of warmth washed over me as I thought about those two years of leading MOPS in Rock Rapids. The other women who served on the steering team were so faithful. It was fun to meet other moms with young children and have some time together a couple of times a month without our kids (they were taken care of by wonderful volunteers in the MOPPETS program and nursery). We got to eat without little fingers swiping our food. At every meeting we enjoyed listening to a speaker who taught us something new or encouraged us in the job we were doing as moms. At most of the meetings we created something cute to take home during craft time.
But what warms my heart the most is remembering the spiritual growth all of us experienced during those years. Our discussions helped our faith come alive and I know our relationships with our families were better because of MOPS.
So tonight I’m thanking God for that time in my life. It was busy and chaotic at times, as all young mothers know, but it was amazing to see God at work.
Sometimes I’m afraid we get a little too future-focused. What will we get done this year? What goals can we accomplish? What will God do in our lives?
It’s good for us to take a look back once in a while, before we forge ahead. Seeing how God has been faithful in the past will give us confidence and inspiration for the future.
I almost forgot about all of God’s faithfulness during my Mothers of Preschoolers years. How exciting it is to wonder what God will do in this next season of life!
Someday I’ll look back and be just as amazed and thankful, I’m sure.
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” (Psalm 143:5 NIV)
Do you ever forget to look back? How can focusing on God help you to see His faithfulness in your past and then move forward with more confidence?
*If you are a mom with young children, check out the resources at mops.org It was a lifesaver for me when my children were little! You can find a group that meets near you or just check out their MOPS blog for helpful articles for moms.
I love looking back on God’s faithfulness, too. It encourages me to trust Him more. What a gift you gave to the young moms in creating a MOPS group! I would’ve enjoyed that!
Believe me, I had lots of help, Susan! I hadn’t thought about MOPS in years, actually, since our kids are all out of the house now (1 still in college). It was very encouraging to think about God’s faithfulness back then…and count on His faithfulness going forward. ~Robyn