Since my husband and I first heard the names Aquila and Priscilla, we were captivated. Always mentioned together, and with repeated gratitude from Paul for their impact on the church, this couple became a source of inspiration for our own marriage. Although their names appear only 6 times, their impact has reached much further than the handfuls of words that comprise their written story.

People are messy. I’m not talking peanut butter in the hair kind of messy, although sometimes that happens. I’m talking about pouring out your heart and letting friends into your personal world kind of messy. I was chatting with a friend one day and we exchanged prayer requests. A few hours later I looked at her and said, “okay, now what’s your REAL prayer request?” Then the true conversation began and I got a glimpse into her heart.

After just a few years in our home, I have watched a story take place in our garden that can be reflective of our lives in so many ways. Within a year of being in our home, my eagerness to garden was replaced with the sleepless nights that arrive with a new baby. It was no longer my priority. The plants became an afterthought and weeds began to set in. ‘At least they are green’ I would tell myself as I walked past the window.

There is a full spectrum of experiences that shape motherhood. There’s waiting and rejoicing. Waiting and grieving. Trying and hoping. Missing and remembering. But through it all, we are each being molded – one hand graciously pressing on our hearts, the other pressing and guiding us through this broken world.

As a new mom I found a closeness with God during those wee hours of the morning when I was nursing and rocking my son back to sleep. In the quietness of the house, God’s voice seemed ever-present and comforted me through the [still ongoing] emotional journey into this new foreign role called ‘motherhood’.