God, God What do You See?: I See a Mother Looking at Me

By Gigi Schweikert

Gigi Schweikert pens inspirational stories that seem almost painted across the pages as she delivers portrait after portrait of love and nurturing that will quite likely change your life as a mom.

You are invited into a world of heartwarming short stories that will bring a tear to your eye and wisdom to your motherhood. After reading this beautifully crafted book, if you listen closely you may hear God whisper, "I see a mother looking at Me."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Howard Books
• Release date: Jun 15, 2010
• ISBN: 9781451605518

Gigi Schweikert

Gigi Taylor Schweikert is a national authority in early childhood education. As an expert in this field, Gigi has managed corporate childcare centers and their educational programs for over eighteen years. Gigi was the Director of the Early Childhood Education at United Nations in New York City and was also the cable television host of Today's Family. She also presents national, state, and local workshops for parents, teachers and corporations. Gigi lives in New Jersey with her husband and four children.

Book preview

A special gift for

with love,

date

Our purpose at Howard Publishing is to:

Increase faith in the hearts of growing Christians

Inspire holiness in the lives of believers

Instill hope in the hearts of struggling people everywhere Because He’s coming again!

God, God, What Do You See? © 2005 by Gigi Schweikert

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America

Published by Howard Publishing Co., Inc.

3117 North Seventh Street, West Monroe, LA 71291-2227

www.SimonandSchuster.com

www.howardpublishing.com

05  06  07  08  09  10  11  12  13  14   10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

Edited by Between the Lines

Interior design by Stephanie D. Walker and Tennille Paden

Photography by Chrys Howard

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Schweikert, Gigi, 1962-

God, God, what do you see? : I see a mother looking at Me / Gigi Schweikert.

p. cm.

The Motherhood Club, making a difference one kiss at a time (MC).

ISBN: 1-58229-471-2

eISBN 978-1-451-60551-8

1. Motherhood—Religious aspects—Christianity—Meditations. I. Title.

BV4529.S38 2005

242′.6431—dc22

2005046116

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations within critical articles and reviews.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

To God, who sees love and strength in every mother

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: A Mother’s Encouragement

Chapter 2: A Mother’s Challenge

Chapter 3: A Mother’s Time

Chapter 4: A Mother’s Loss

Chapter 5: A Mother’s Worth

Chapter 6: A Mother’s Love

Chapter 7: A Mother’s Presence

Acknowledgments

There are people in our lives who help to shape the mothers we are and the ones we want to be. I have been blessed with so many of those positive influences:

Thanks to my wonderful husband, Al, who gladly carts around our four young children with only a few wipes and an extra diaper.

My eternal love and appreciation to my children, Ashley, Genevieve, Marielle, and William, who are made of love and forgiveness. I’m certainly not the perfect parent, yet they let me off the hook all the time.

Thanks to my parents, Ray and Jean Taylor, for their love, and especially my father, who proved that you’re never too old for a miracle.

My grandmother, Mary Abernathy, writes everyday, without a computer. What an inspiration.

To my mother-in-law, Theresa Schweikert, who raised eleven children and found the treasure in every one.

To all those who inspired these stories—my husband; Jill and her special Molly; Renee and Sienna; Susan Brenner; and my brother, David.

A special note of appreciation to Dawn and Tammy, my virtual moms at Between the Lines, who are full of love, patience, and great knowledge. They edited every word and made each story real.

Thanks also to Philis and Denny Boultinghouse, from Howard Publishing, who saw and valued the treasure God placed in me.

Thank you as well to all the working moms, at home and in the office. Most of all, thank You, God, for the gift of motherhood and the strength to do more than I could ever imagine.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT

Introduction

God, God, what do You see? Ever wonder what God sees when He looks down on our homes? He probably doesn’t see the piles of laundry or the dishes in the sink, the paperwork that needs sorting or our To Do lists with so many things left