“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
—Colossians 3:17
How do you balance being a working mom?
It’s a question every employed mother likely has pondered, but Cissie Graham Lynch—Franklin Graham’s daughter—takes it a step further in her podcast Fearless.
How do you balance being a working mom from a Biblical perspective?
>> Listen to Cissie Graham Lynch’s latest podcast episode, “Finding Balance When Society Says You Can Have it All”
Intentionality is a word Cissie and her colleagues Meleah, Kathy and Sarah kept coming back to on the podcast as they discussed the struggles working mothers face. Balance can be achieved only through complete surrender to the Lord, the ladies agreed.
Quality Over Quantity
The women have prayerfully felt called to work while raising children, so intentional living at home can appear counter-cultural. It means putting down the phone, turning off the television and, for at least one of the moms, spending a set amount of time exclusively focused on her children. Dinner, laundry and even work can wait for an hour or so.
“That has really made me feel better because I’m enjoying time with my kids, but also I’ve noticed a change in them,” Sarah shared. “They’re happy, and they’re excited for that hour, so that’s really made a big difference.”
The in-between, off-work times are spent in thoughtful co-existence. Boo-boos are still nurtured, but important emails are answered, too. Cissie adds that this level of intentional living also extends to her role as wife. Instead of flipping on Netflix at night, she talks with her husband Corey.
“We needed that time to come back together and talk about work, talk about what’s going on,” Cissie said.
A Christ-Centered Legacy
Through the entire day—whether spent at work or at home—the one constant for all four women is a relationship with God. But seeking His face and sharing their faith looks different through the lens of a working mother. It’s not real life to think a devotion will happen on time every morning. Life with littles is unpredictable. Cissie said sometimes it comes down to making the most of those 15 minutes in the carpool line.
Kathy’s son is grown now, but she fondly remembers when her young daughter Natalie took an interest in the Scripture cards Mom was building for a Bible study. They created cards together, and later Natalie used these verses during her battle with cancer. Today, Kathy shares printed copies of her late daughter’s creations with others. She recently sent some to a friend in the United Kingdom, who has since asked for more. This family was sharing them with people who didn’t know Jesus.
“I thought, ‘God, You’re so amazing,’” Kathy said. “My child has never stepped foot in the United Kingdom, but yet she’s having an impact through her faithfulness to claim Your Word.”
“I look at how God used a mom, who in the midst of a busy schedule and a busy life, was taking the time to set the example for her child,” Cissie encouraged.
Cissie’s children are learning about God and His love. Her daughter Margaret uses Natalie’s Scripture cards, but she also knows Mom’s Bible is never far. That’s something Cissie learned from her grandparents Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, as well as her own parents. Sometimes Margaret will grab her copy to imitate Mom. Cissie’s 3-year-old son Austin simply says God’s Word “is true.”
“In those little moments as parents, we have to know that that’s our first job,” Cissie said. “And we have to find ways that work for our family to point our children to God’s Word.”
Listen to Cissie Graham Lynch’s full podcast through Cissie’s website, SoundCloud, the BGEA app or Apple podcasts.
