Michelle Tant

I'm a Christian. A Christian mummy. I know that my calling right now (and indeed for the rest of my life) is being the best mother I can be. But what about the rest? I know I have other 'things' in my life - the breastfeeding counselling, writing etc, but what about the conviction I've had all my Christian life that I'm meant to be doing something. Else that is. I've read Proverbs 31 inside out and I long to be the woman there, industrious, creative, an excellent wife and mother but it is very easy to hold Mrs Proverbs up as a yardstick and find myself so incredibly lacking. God loves me, weaknesses and all, I have no doubt about that but I know I have more in me than I'm giving out right now. I was prayed for in church this morning and he said that God does make almost 'allowances' for the childbearing years and don't hear me wrong, but knowing that doesn't make me much less frustrated. I suppose desire wise I'm in a good place...

Im going to be brave and stand up here and say I am a Christian (that's not the brave bit) and I believe there it only one way to God (that was the brave bit). Strangely though I do still have an enormous amount of respect for others spiritual beliefs. Although I do categorically believe my above statement, I also believe that true believers of any faith must believe the same (obviously only counting here the faiths that have a God). I've been giving it thought today and remember a couple of conversations in the past where people have become very upset that I have that belief. Faith is about the heart belief. My faith is in my heart, at the centre of my being. It is part of how I define myself, how I see myself in the context of the world. How I see meaning in the world and in my existence. My God is a jealous God. He wants my undivided attention in respect to who I worship. That's the God I see consistently throughout the Bible. I also see a God who loves me a...