Laura

Hi, Ally, and thank you for joining us on Unsung Stories.

 

Ally

Hi, thanks for having me.

 

Laura

My pleasure. Just so that our listeners can get to know you a little more, could you tell us a bit about yourself and what your family life looks like?

 

Ally

Yes. So there's myself and my husband, John, and we live in Port Macquarie, mid-north coast of New South Wales. We have a two-year-old son, Dallas. An almost 10-month-old little girl, Bonnie. And we are just coming up to 10 weeks pregnant with number three.

 

Laura

Oh, my goodness, that's exciting. So you and I have a bit of a close age gap there.

 

Ally

Yes, very close. We have three kids in three years.

 

Laura

Oh, good on you.

 

Ally

Yes.

 

Laura

So motherhood is a bit of a juggling act. Could you share how you prioritize your relationship with God during this season?

 

Ally

Yeah. So I think for myself and John, we've been pretty intentionally making sure that church is a priority and Bible study and meeting regularly with our Christian community, which has often meant even missing out on things like birthday parties and different things with my mother's group or arriving late for the sake of making sure that we're at the places we want to be. Yes, that's one way we make it a priority. Things that we prioritize have been making sure that we get our kids into the word as well.

And so we have a kids Bible and a few kids’ devotionals that, some we sought out and researched ourselves. Others have been lovely gifts from friends. And so every night we sit down, and we read through one of those, and we pray with the kids. And it's super encouraging because Dallas is now at the point that he asks for the Bible. And as soon as we finish reading it, he quickly put his hands together and starts saying, "Amen. Amen." Because he wants me to pray.

And so that's really encouraging. And he gets he holds his hands together and make sure that she's praying too. So it's great to see that our effort has been fruitful there. Other priorities as a couple, we still come together and pray almost every night and just give our struggles, our life, our children to God and just plead with him to strengthen us. So that's something that we really like to do.

 

Yeah. So, yeah. Prioritize getting into the word for myself. So yeah, I like to go for runs a couple of mornings of the week and so I will put on my audiobooks and I'll just listen to a book of the Bible through. Sometimes I listen to different Christian podcasts that have some great encouragement for [inaudible 00:03:25]. Yeah.

 

Laura

Sounds like you just try and orientate yourself to Jesus at all points of the day and whether that's by yourself or with your family or your husband or your kids, just orientating your lives around Jesus.

 

Ally

Yes, we definitely try and do that.

 

Laura

How do you feel like your relationship with God has changed since you became a mum? What was it like before and what is it like now?

 

Ally

Yeah, I feel like since becoming a mum, my reliance on God has definitely changed. I feel like I see my weaknesses a lot more and I rely on him a lot more. So I am definitely praying and just seeking help more than ever before.

 

So probably prior to kids, probably a bit haphazard with, "I'll do it when I think of it and when I remember and there's always time to do something." So not very intentional. But yes, since kids, time is precious. And so I need to be a bit more intentional, not always perfect at it, but if I don't plan, it doesn't happen. So I need to plan.

 

Laura

Have you found a helpful way for you to read the Bible?

 

Ally

Yes. So I am not a reader. I don't enjoy getting out a book and sitting down and reading. So for me, I find audiobooks the best. So I will listen to a whole book of the Bible through with them in the car or going for a run. And I'll just listen to that same book for weeks or months at a time until I want to move on to something different. So I find audiobooks is a great way for me to get into the Bible.

 

Laura

Yeah, that's really good. What has been a struggle in you spending time with God?

 

Ally

Oh, definitely just the pressures of life. So I do have two very little kids right now and I work three days a week plus different ministries and different things with church. Thankfully, the world shut down and so I've been forced to stay home a lot more. So that's been helpful.

 

But yeah, I think just the pressures of life, I think as a mum, you want to be doing everything you can and making sure that your kid has all these opportunities and so that can get in the way for sure.

 

Laura

What has been something that's really grown you as a Christian in motherhood?

 

Ally

Yeah, so something that has grown us, as a couple, we decided before we had kids that we would follow Christ. Follow his calling and move away from our family and our support network to Port Macquarie. So that's three and a half hours from our parents and our family. And so as a mother, that has really grown me to rely on God and to rely on the things he provides us, like he's given us great support up here. Great friends, great mentors.

 

But that has all come at a cost of leaving our support network and leaving our family in particular. It's hard to do life with little kids, with family three and a half hours away.

 

Laura

And I imagine it really makes you question how seriously you're taking what you believe. You're willing to give up everything that you enjoy and that you want to raise your kids with and give that to God. And it just shows how seriously you take the good news of Jesus that you want other people to hear about him as well.

 

Ally

Yeah.

 

Laura

And I'd imagine that would really be a big struggle.

 

Ally

Yeah, definitely. Even just the little things like not being able to meet regularly with their cousins. Like there are re

lationships that we want to foster. But their relationship and the community's relationship with God comes first.

 

I've definitely been challenged and grown to rely on God more. So since having Bonnie, I've actually had some postnatal anxiety and depression. And so that just means I can't rely on myself. I'm not going to get through this on my own. So, yeah, definitely drawing into God. And just remembering that he is that wonderful counsellor and that everlasting Father and that Prince of peace. Like he is the one thing that will get me through this. So, yeah, I think just my mental health is my biggest challenge and God is faithful, so that is great.

 

Laura

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

Ally

No, that's [inaudible 00:07:59]

 

Laura

I had it with my two boys, like rocking on the floor, couldn't function. And if I can offer any hope, it was the thing that drew me closer to God because it just felt like He was not there in that season. And I think through that I became a lot more empathetic. When I look back, I can see God carrying me through that time.

 

Ally

Yeah, that's cool.

 

Laura

But it is so humbling.

 

Ally

It really is. It's knocked me down. First of all, it's very humbling.

 

Laura

But I'm sorry to hear that. How would you encourage the mum who loves Jesus but is feeling distant from him in this season?

 

Ally

I would encourage you to, well I would encourage them to, yeah. Just don't give up. Life is hard and busy, and we all have seasons that will be hard. My biggest encouragement is just to trust God and to do whatever it is to be surrounded by his people, by his word, even if that means listening to an audiobook rather than reading, because you don't have that energy or going on to Bible study regularly, getting to church, listening to church, just, soak in the Word however you can.