Tapping into God's covenant provisions in motherhood.

A deeper dive into Postpartum Grace

Author

Ugonne Ann Okonkwo
February 15, 2023

Dear Mom, This newsletter is absolutely for you!

Gosh! I'm super excited because God is so good and his word is true, fresh, and empowering. I woke up on Monday with a certain fear of the solid work cut out for me to do. There's so much to do and I've finally come to realize that I can never get the 27 hours I've been asking Jesus for since 1901 ( Shebi they said what you cannot do doesn't exist...#kidding). As the fear gripped tighter, I decided to do the one thing that I know how to do in times of fear and uncertainty; pray.

As I prayed, I remembered the post I did on Instagram about postpartum grace and I tried to remember the scripture I referenced but I couldn't. I picked up my journal and started to flip desperately in search of it. I couldn't find it. I went to a previous newsletter I wrote on "how to enjoy motherhood" because I thought I must have mentioned it there but nope, I didn't. I checked out the post I made about it on Instagram and then I decided to check my digital notes again and hurray, I found it.

Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

Philippians 4:11‭-‬13 AMP.

Postpartum grace: A deeper dive

See eh! The word of God is alive, active, and powerful. The excitement that welled up in my spirit as I read this Philippians 4 scripture knows no bounds. Just take a look at it again. There's such a thing as being self-sufficient in Christ. In other words, Jesus is all you need as a mother primarily. He is the one to help you take care of yourself, deal with problems, provide everything you need, and be happy, without being a burden to other people. This is the foundation and the basis for our belief. That Christ is able and he has provided everything we need in this season, especially grace.

As you know, I currently live in China. It's pretty far away from family and loved ones so I don't get the privilege of "omugwo" Or "extra hands“ with my 4-month-old baby, Nate. (Isn't he the cutest? 😍) But I discovered something a few months ago. It's so good and I feel like every mom especially first-time mamas should know about this covenant provision by God.

There's a spectacular type of grace that God releases on mothers. I call it Postpartum Grace. This grace is custom-made and tailored to the life architecture, design, and the demands on the woman wearing it. It's literally the antidote to Postpartum Depression.

Some facts about Postpartum grace

I was reading a blog by my dearest sister, Eziaha Bolaji Olojo wrote back in 2018. This is literally the only blog I still read in 2023. Yup! It's that good. The blog is titled "When You have a boss…!!! #IssaWord on Making my marriage WORK!"  She was sharing about when seasons changed in her marriage and her worry about some things she needed to fix to make her marriage work even better in the new season. She talked to her friends and mentors and one blogger gave her some really good counsel. The quote she shared jumped out to me because it buttressed one of the important things you need to know about this thing called grace. Check it out in her own words.

"E’, you may have run things when he was away but that was only because GOD GRACED YOU FOR IT… Now that your hubby is here, YOU NEED TO CHILL. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GRACE ANYMORE TO DO ALL THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE EASILY. So now, if you continue, you will be frustrated. You have worked SO HARD, Now it is time to relax and enjoy like the QUEEN of the HOME that you are!!!"

Did you catch it? Emphasis on "God graced you for it" because this grace thing I'm talking about is a bespoke, custom-made gift from God. As you usher in different seasons in your walk with God, he graciously endows you with everything you need for that season and as a mother, you are not left out at all. These are some important things to know about Postpartum Grace.

  1.  It's a customized endowment: It's not one size fits all. It's custom-made for you, your reality, and your current season.

  2. It is Christ-activated: In other words, you will only truly recognize and start to walk in higher degrees of it when you relocate into "Christ".

  3. It's evolutionary in nature: meaning that what it looks like in each season is different. It's not permanent.

  4. It's not even about you: Many times, this grace will be activated in your life or in certain situations primarily because of the child you are carrying. Think about Hagar seeing a well of water because God heard the cry of Ishmael. God is so kind and rich in mercy that you get to enjoy his grace towards someone else.

  5. It can activate vision in your life: This one is literally the story of my life. Catching a Vision is about seeing with your inner eyes. Motherhood opened me up to the visionary life just like Hagar's eyes were opened to see in Genesis 21.

Am I saying that everything is going to be roses and lollipops for you as a mom? Nah! Not at all. What I'm saying is that in the midst of the mess, the sleepless nights, and the days that feel like a blur, you will be carried on the wings of the spirit.

You will not break down. You will not lose yourself. You will be catered for. You won't fall into dark, depressing spaces but instead, you will birth purpose, elevate, upgrade, and become the best version of yourself. You will live in the moment, find rest within your soul and thoroughly enjoy this season of your life.

Steps to take to step into Postpartum Grace

  1. Ask God to show you the areas of your life he has poured extra doses of grace into.

  2. When you see it, create confessions/ declarations with it and start to declare your new reality.

  3. Be intentional about thanking God and being grateful for it.

  4. Keep track of the changes, lights, miracles, and results you will start to see in your life through journaling.

  5. Unplug from Instagram to avoid comparison. Our graces are all different and comparison leaks grace. If you keep spectating other people's life & timeline, your own grace will continue to grow dim in your eyes.

I pray that as mothers we will always desperately run to Jesus. I pray that we'll get to the point where Christ is truly our complete satisfaction. Amen!

💃❤𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩

  • The Birthing Valentine Giveaway Bundle. is still on and 10 spots have been taken already. We now have 90 copies of the Birthing Book to give out for free! Details are in the flyer above but in case you can't see it, here's the fantastic gift I'm giving you.

✅ Paperback copy of the Birthing Book valued at N5000

✅ The Birthing Visions Declarations Ebook valued at N3000

✅ Free Delivery of the book to your doorstep. (Within Lagos)

✅ One-month access to the Birthing Hub for Visionaries valued at N10,000

📌 WHO IS THE BOOK, THE BIRTHING FOR?

The Birthing is for

-the mother in search of a higher purpose and meaning.

- the wife who can hear the pulsating rhythms of a vision racing within her.

- the sister desiring more with her life.

- the daughter who is saying goodbye to a mundane life.

- the friend longing for a life of adventures.

- the passionate woman that feels the pangs of a burning vision in her heart.

- the believing woman relentlessly pursuing her maker.

- the visionary woman who knows in her heart that she's here to serve a divine presence in this generation.

Consider this my love gift to her in this unique valentine's season. Get in quick before all the spots are taken. CLICK HERE to join the group right now. This offer ends on the 28th of February.

📖📖 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜

  •  Mover of men and mountains by R.G Letourneau. I'm so excited about this book. I'm still in the beginning and I feel like God has a lot to say to me with this book

📺📺 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜

  • Cars. Friday night is movie night in my home and my first son, zite had the privilege of choosing the movie for us to watch this time. I wasn't surprised at his choice cos he's at that stage of obsession with vehicles but I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. It's fun and filled with lessons on what truly matters in life. You'll probably enjoy it too.

🎤🎼 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤

  • Our God of Covenant/The Torch Gathering 2023/Mentoring Conference with DDK. This was the event I mentioned earlier. Hey! This one is good food. My dear, it's very important that we eat because our journey is far.

🙇🙌 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧

  • This newsletter, being able to hear God and destiny alliances. These are a few of my favorite things.

The lines have fallen unto you in pleasant places and your week is blessed.

Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love].

Are you loving these Newsletters? Forward it to someone you know with just one click. Let them also enjoy these godly insights, and deep nuggets → Subscribe to my newsletters

𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯? 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝙃𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙣.

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