We’re enjoying a beautiful, relaxing week of family beach time down in Orange Beach, Alabama this week. This is one of my favorite places on earth, and it’s always what comes to mind when I think of “family vacation.”
For most of this week, I’ll be having guest bloggers. I decided that it would be really fun to include women (bloggers and non-bloggers) that I know in real life. Yesterday, my friend Ellen shared with you about how God laid it on her heart to bring together her many friendships and start a Bible study group for the summer.
This week’s Build ‘Em Up is about something very similar to Ellen’s post from yesterday.
It’s all about mom groups.
One of the first things I realized as a new mom was that motherhood could either be incredibly lonely and alienating, or I could find a way to make friends with other moms and have a stronger sense of community through this incredible road called motherhood.
And for over a year, it was much more isolating and lonely than it was all about community. I didn’t have any other mom friends. And, let’s face it. We change when we become moms. We can deny it and try to hang on to our old selves. But becoming completely responsible for another person, being fully overwhelmed with love for another person, and losing sleep and basing all of your decisions on another person’s needs will change you.
This week is supposed to be all about mom groups, but I’m honestly not a part of a formal mom group. I don’t attend MOPS or a formal playgroup. But I have some incredible friendships that I am so proud of.
And I’m proud of them because I’ve worked at them. I have the best friends I could ever ask for, and I’m so proud that these women are my friends.
Most of my friendships began at church. I have friendships from all different parts of my life in our church. Choir, children’s ministry, Sunday school, my kids’ friends moms. And it’s okay with me that these people aren’t all a part of one big play group.
About six months ago, a group of girls from church decided that we wanted to make it a monthly thing to get together one Sunday night per month for a true girls night. And once a month, we go to dinner or go to a movie and aren’t rushing home. Our husbands are able to be at home with the kids because it’s a Sunday night, and we’re not rushed. We fellowship and share and catch up. I look forward to it every month!
We attend Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, and for the past couple of years I was a part of a Moms’ Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. We met for a little over an hour, and the study was all about topics that related to moms. And childcare was provided! I’m not able to attend this study anymore because of scheduling conflicts, but if you live in the Columbia area and would like to attend, please call the church! They would love to have you!
Another way that I met a few of my very best friends was from the boys’ preschool. Between pick up and drop off, and calling and scheduling play dates, I’ve gotten to know quite a few of the parents of my kids’ friends very well.
These pockets of friendships aren’t formally organized, but they work. And my biggest piece of advice is to just call someone. Invite someone to play. Invite a group of people to play. If you’re looking for those “mom friends,” then make it happen!
I know there’s the risk of rejection, but I promise that everyone feels that way. And God loves it when we fellowship and have community. He wants that for us!
That mom that you want to invite to the park with her little boy is probably feeling nervous about extending the invitation to someone, too. In our house, we never turn down a play date! So just call, email, or send a text and extend the invitation. It could be the beginning of an amazing friendship!
We’d love for you to link up with us today to share about your mom groups. In the link tool, make sure you include your city and state so others can find you and make connections!
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