Oh, Me? I'm Just a Mom: One Woman's Journey through the Ups and Downs of Life as a Wife and Mother and How God Sustained Her through It All

By Patty L. Young

Oh, Me? I'm Just a Mom

Patty L. Young, the author of Worship--Our Expression of Love, has once again shared her heart and answers some difficult questions that women and mothers everywhere may have asked. As a mom, have you been made to feel that your position as a mother is less important than a woman who brings home a paycheck? Have you ever felt that you don't know what you are doing as a mom? Have there been days when you just wanted to quit being a mom? If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you are the one for whom this book was written. Follow Patty through her journey of marriage and motherhood, through life's ups and downs, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Learn some practical tips to help you with your kids so that you don't feel so overwhelmed. Patty believes that you will see that you are not alone in how you have been feeling, and you will also find that even if you do feel alone, you never really are. There is One who never leaves you, and He will provide you with everything you need to be the best mother that you can be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798888512326

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Dream

Chapter 2: Trusting God for My Dream

Chapter 3: A Time of Joy and a Time of Sorrow

Chapter 4: From Darkness to Light

Chapter 5: Joy and Healing

Chapter 6: Life Was Good

Chapter 7: I Think I'm in Labor

Chapter 8: Surprise

Chapter 9: Adjusting

Chapter 10: I Was Raised to Be Charming, Not Sincere

(A Line of Prince Charming from Into the Woods)

Chapter 11: Life as a Single Parent

Chapter 12: God's Love and Mercy Are New Every Morning

Chapter 13: When Children Go Astray

Chapter 14: A Divine Calling

Chapter 15: Mothers Come in All Shapes and Sizes

Chapter 16: Be Encouraged

Bibliography

About the Author

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Oh, Me? I'm Just a Mom

One Woman's Journey through the Ups and Downs of Life as a Wife and Mother and How God Sustained Her through It All

Patty L. Young

ISBN 979-8-88851-231-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-232-6 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Patty L. Young

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

For my mother, Betty Jo Young,

who demonstrated daily the loving and Godly example of what a mother should be.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to my son, Toby, who created the silhouette for the front cover from an actual photograph of my children and I.

Introduction

When I was twenty-eight years old and pregnant with my fifth child, I stood among a group of women who were talking about their busy lives and their careers. As I was standing there and listening to all the exciting things that their careers brought them, one of the women turned and looked at me and asked, And what do you do?

Feeling extremely insecure, how could my life ever measure up to all the things I had just heard? I finally responded, Oh, me? I'm just a mom. This time, I got the reaction that I had unfortunately expected. They all had these sour looks on their faces and shook their heads sadly at me. Thus began my believing a great lie of the enemy: that being a mom was demeaning or unimportant, that I was nothing by being a mom. All I can say is I had a lot to learn!

In order for me to show you what an amazing, wonderful, important, and honored role being a mother is and to reveal what a liar Satan is, I have to start at the beginning: when children were just a dream of mine.

I share these events of my life to show you that you are not the only one to have gone through good and bad times, joys and sorrows. And that God has a purpose for you and will do for you all that He promises. You are not alone. You just have to open your heart to trust and believe.

I pray that the words that I have written here will bless you and draw you closer to the Father, that you will gain an understanding of how much He truly loves you and just how precious you are to Him, and that you will gain insight into how being a mother may be one of the hardest and most challenging things you may do in your life but also one of the most glorious and honored positions a woman can obtain.

Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord, The fruit of the womb a reward.

—Psalm 127:3 Amplified

Chapter 1

The Beginning of a Dream

Growing up in a very small town and being the last child among four daughters, you may think that I would have dreamed of big-city lights and what some would call a fabulous career. I remember hearing all my classmates say that they couldn't wait to get out of town and do this or do that. Not me. All I ever wanted or dreamed of was becoming a wife and mother. While other girls were dreaming of careers in advertising and journalism, I dreamed of preparing a home for my husband and changing the diapers of all the kids that I wanted. Of course, most of the girls my age thought I was nuts. After all, it was the late seventies; women had had a revolution against the traditions and the lives that their mothers had lived. We could be anything we wanted to be and do anything we wanted to do! To some, I'm sure that my dream seemed rather small, or that I was too scared to go out into the big bad world, but it was neither of those things. I believe that this dream to be a wife and mother was placed in my heart by God, and then He gave me the most loving mother any child could ever want as an example.

I had a wonderful childhood. My mother was amazing! She had the ability to make each one of us think that we were precious and special. My mother taught me unconditional love and faith. She was my teacher, my guide, my biggest fan, and my best friend. She was always able to put things in a way that I could understand them. I remember when I was seven years old and I came home from school crying one day because a girl had made fun of my shoes. We were not financially well-off at all. When I asked my mother if we were poor, she said, Well, honey, it's just that we don't have as much as others may have, but we have enough. Having this relationship with my mother was one of the most valuable things in my life, and I wanted to have that same kind of relationship with my children.

When graduation day from high school came, I had wanted to be able to begin my life and fulfill my dream of being a wife and mother, but sadly, I had no Prince Charming to marry. I had dated in high school and had fallen in love with a wonderful young man, one that I truly could see myself with for life. But due to an unfortunate misunderstanding, the relationship ended with my heart being broken. Realizing that I needed to do something with my life and no husband in sight—therefore, no children for me either—I thought, Well, if I can't have my own kids, then I'll go into teaching and be a surrogate type of mom to other people's children, which is exactly what I did. I graduated with a BA in education and began my career as a teacher.

Now I won't lie to you, my heart was broken and I felt an emptiness inside. I never thought that my dreams would come true and I kept trying to make things happen on my own. Let me tell you, you can't make it happen; it never works out the right way when you are trying to do things with your own strength. At this time, I was twenty-two years old and I began going back to church. I rededicated my life to God and gave Him control of my life. I was determined to trust Him. The scriptures had shown me that He is a good and loving God and that if I delight myself in Him; He will give me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4). So that's what I did. I quit looking for Mr. Right and concentrated on my relationship with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Just about this same time, there was a new young-adults group starting at my church, and I became involved. And guess what? Wham! It happened. I met him!

*If the desire of your heart is to be married, then here are some scriptures that you can stand on and confess, believing and trusting God. Remember, you need to "delight yourself in Him, then He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. (Matthew 6:33 Amplified)

Be sure that your relentless pursuit of Jesus is your first and