Laura

Hi Hannah, and welcome to another episode of Unsung Stories.

 

Hannah

Hello.

 

Laura

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

 

Hannah

Yes, I'm Hannah. I'm married to Dean. And we have a little girl who's 18 months, and her name's Zoe. And I'm currently expecting another little baby in April.

 

Laura

Well, congratulations.

 

Hannah

Thank you.

 

Laura

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

 

Hannah

Yes. So definitely say I am not the best at this at all. Things that definitely help me with this would be going to church, surrounding myself with other Christian people and mums. I actually really love being a part of WOW which is mum's Bible study during the week. And it has a little creche program so that we can just go in there and be entertained, and I can actually sit down with other ladies and go through Bible, which is really cool. Also, I found you don't have a lot of time, so I find prayer a lot more, a big part of my relationship with God. I found that really helpful.

 

Laura

So how do you feel like your relationship with God has changed since you've become a mum?

 

Hannah

Yeah, so massively for the better. Also, I have found it harder. I think, for the better in that think having a baby and going through pregnancy and birth. I think you appreciate God's creation and design and like, just in awe of everything in that respect. And I think it has been harder in the side of that, you don't have as much time. You can't sit down whenever you want to pray, read the Bible and spend time with God. So and I think before having Zoe, I didn't have the best routine with Bible reading and everything like that.

 

So I probably set myself up to fail from the start. But yeah, definitely since having Zoe, you're selfish with the time that you have for yourself. So she'll be asleep and it's like, "Cool, I'm just going to do whatever I want." And so I think that's harder. Yeah. Like, I don't jump into reading the Bible when I've got five seconds to myself.

 

Laura

What have you found a helpful way for you to read the Bible when you do get a chance?

 

Hannah

So I'm a bit spontaneous, I don't really have a plan. I just like to read a little bit and ...

 

Laura

Meditate on that?

 

Hannah

Yeah. Yeah. But I also would say the biggest thing for me is reading the Bible with other people, and that really helps me to dig in because I think I struggle with digging deeper myself. I might just in quite superficial reading skim over it and go, "Yep. Cool I've read some." But my wow group is amazing in that you are surrounded by other women. They're a bit older than me as well. And so they've had more life experience and can offer great insight as well and help you learn more. And so I think for me, my Bible study is a really, really important thing. Like I can't emphasize that enough.

 

Laura

Really good. What has been a struggle in you spending time with God?

 

Hannah

So I think similar to maybe what I have said is you're quite selfish with your spare time or when you do have a second to yourself. So I think you're trying throughout the day to get through the day. Get through the day.

 

You know, you've got this little child that's got so much of your attention. And when the five seconds that you have, like God sometimes doesn't even enter your mind because you're just so distracted and preoccupied with other things. So I've found that really a big struggle that you just go, go, go. And you don't have a lot of time just to sit and reflect and dig into things. So what I would like to do would be to have a set time where I would sit down and spend with God praying, digging into the Bible. But for me, it's more like I'm driving along and I'm having a really terrible day and I find myself, it's actually a good thing I guess, I find myself just connecting with God through prayer in that moment. So it's not even planned. And I'm driving along and I'm like, "OK, God, like I really need you." And then when you do connect like that, it's like God is always been there. He always will be. But yeah, I wish it was more planned.

 

Laura

If I can offer any encouragement in that though, it is a relationship that we have with God. So that prayer and coming to Him in your weakness is investing in that relationship. And as much as we, it's helpful to schedule that time and so that we know that we are spending time with God, might have heard it said before, we deposit what we can. And God will take those little investments of time. And being a Christian is that heart posture of just coming to God in the little things in everyday life and not leaning on ourselves, but turning to Him.

 

And so I think in you are in a really tough season with Zoe being so little. So do what you can, give yourself grace, and just go to Him and cry out to Him in the moment. That is part of the relationship you have with Him in this season.

 

Hannah

Yeah, I think that's really cool that what you are saying like just even one verse, like focusing on that. That's pretty cool. Like you can always do that and, you know, not feel like, I think I feel like it's a little bit like, "No you've got to read a passage." But yeah.

 

Laura

Yeah. It's like you got to pull the Bible out and do it for an hour. You can't do that. But some days you just sit on the couch with Zoe and look at one verse and go, "Let's think about this." 

Do you know who I actually think is really good? Colin Buchanan.

 

Hannah

Yuck. We've actually just started listening to Him with Zoe.

 

Laura

It's not good for the kids. It's good for me. 

 

Hannah

Well, that's true. If you like having stuff for the kids, that's Bible based, like it's going to help you as well. Like if you're surrounded by it, just like the Wiggles are great. But I think that as well. It's going to help. Exactly.

 

Laura

With the amount, that can be your Bible time.

 

Hannah

Yes. Yes.

 

Laura

In all seriousness, it was my Bible time for a while there. I'd put it on in the car. And I think it's just little things like that. Like just choosing to be faithful in this moment where I have a choice that I can put Colin on, or just be listening to the radio.

 

Yeah, it's just that using the little seemingly insignificant things to point your heart to Jesus. What's been something that has really grown you as a Christian in motherhood?

 

Hannah

So I think from pretty early on, maybe like week three, I can just remember realizing how sinful I am as a person. And I think having this little one dependent on you just really showed me how selfish I was and how impatient I was. And, yeah, just really showed me my sin. And I think that was a good thing because prior to that, it's like it didn't show up really strongly to me. And so that has been, I think, something that's been really good. It's really good to see your sin.

 

Laura

I don't know about you, but I feel like becoming a mum made me see how far sin infiltrated my life. So it was kind of like tick the box, like, "Okay, I'm no longer, you know, wanting to have sex with my boyfriend." And struggling with this big, huge sin where I'm not swearing as much and the big sins in my life, I'm like, tick the box off. I'm like, "Sweet life's good. I'm going well." And then you became a mum and you're like, "Whoa, it's all of me that's sinful." Not just these big things."

 

Hannah

Yeah, yeah, it just hit me really hard. And I just couldn't believe it that. Yeah. You think you're pretty okay. Just this little person shows you that. It's good though. And I think I'm trying to always work on that. And I think that my patience is a big thing and I always need help with that. And so that has been good, I think, to show me my sin.

 

Laura

And God will refine you through those things.

 

Hannah

Yes.
 

Laura

How would you encourage the mumma who loves Jesus but is really feeling distant from Him in this season?

 

Hannah

Yes. That's definitely me right now. So I don't know. Big things for me would be my bible study. Just so good at being surrounded by other Christian women who are going through similar things, who have been there. Some of them are on the other side, which is so good and so helpful as well, encouraging one another, and also just prayer.

 

I think that's one of those things that you can any time of day, anywhere you are. It is so helpful. And I think it reminds you that you are not on your own. God is there with you. I find that so helpful. I think surrounding yourself with fellow Christians that are at a similar stage of life is very helpful as well.