But my hope is that Furman’s book (and others like it) will encourage tired and beleaguered Christian mothers everywhere to seek the grace of God in the mundane and chaotic, not apart from it, and to treasure the gospel in their homes. The solution to our problems in the home and the impetus for our enjoyment of life in the home is fellowship with God through Christ Jesus’s atoning sacrifice.”Įasier said than done, right? Absolutely. Here’s what she writes at the end of the book: “We see glimpses of grace in our homes when we cherish God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. No, it’s a peace, Furman rightly argues, that comes through fellowship with Jesus Christ. (That may be the great take-away for many mothers reading this book.). And, surprisingly, this peace doesn’t come from escaping the day-to-day reality and necessity of the mundane. And it’s certainly not a peace that comes from having your image and reputation as a faultless homemaker preserved among an elitist community of ideal mothers. It doesn’t come from having all your kids under perfect control at all times. But it’s not a peace that comes from having the house picked up and everything in order. Here’s what I appreciated about Gloria Furman’s book: she is endeavoring to take the gospel into that mundane and chaotic environment and find contentment and peace. I’m picking up on the fact that mothering is a strange mixture of the mundane and the chaotic.

Yet another attempt on my part to understand the world of a mother and homemaker. Using personal examples and insightful stories, her richly theological reflections help us experience the gospel’s extraordinary power to transform our ordinary lives.

So where is God in all of this? Does he care about the way we unload the dishwasher or balance the budget? Do the little things like changing diapers or cooking meals make a difference? And how can we use our spheres of influence for God’s glory and our joy? Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a working woman splitting time between the office and home, Gloria Furman―writer, pastor’s wife, cross-cultural worker, and mom―encourages us to see the reality of God’s grace in all of life, especially those areas that often appear to be boring and unimportant. At times, just catching our breath seems like an impossible feat. Dust bunnies show up on the stairwell, social commitments clutter the calendar, and our families demand daily attention and care. Sometimes life feels a lot like a burden―day-in and day-out its the same chores and tasks, challenges and discouragements, anxieties and responsibilities.

Glimpses of grace