Deacon Tera Allen

As I anticipate the arrival of our first child in April, I am overwhelmed by countless messages on how I should prepare for motherhood. As I fight to set the world’s view and advice aside, I am instead seeking guidance and wisdom from God’s own Word and through the godly women who have experienced the transition to motherhood first hand. In this and my next few posts, I will be sharing stories from three Mars Hill Ballard women, each in a different stage of motherhood. The fourth post in my motherhood series will be my own reflection of the things I’ve learned and how God is preparing me to be a first time mother.

Recently, I had the honor of meeting with Shelly Jennings, wife of Pastor Bubba Jennings and mother of two boys, Jones (3 years) and Jackson (6 months). When Shelly married Bubba 8 years ago, she thought she already had it all figured out since she had been a Christian for so long and had a great example from her parents’ 40 year Christian marriage. Recalling their first year of marriage though, Shelly admits that she lacked humility and was self-righteous in her thinking that she didn’t see her need for sanctification.

“I remember realizing that I actually had a problem submitting. Then I had a Holy Spirit moment and heard God say, “Do you understand what it means to be under submission?”

Shelly learned that oneness and submission can’t be separated. “It’s easy to submit when you are one; but when you have your own agenda, there is separation.” And as Shelly became more open to God changing and humbling her, she found that submission also became easier.

Shelly recognizes that marriage was her first big moment of realizing how selfish she was. But it was motherhood that became the second and ever bigger moment of seeing her selfishness in such great magnitude.

“Realizing that your time is not your own and it’s so easy to get all consumed with the kids and completely neglect your first two priorities, Jesus and your husband. It’s really easy to get totally self-focused as you’re figuring out this whole mothering thing, especially at the beginning when it’s hard and it’s stressful.”

Shelly says that learning to balance her time with Jesus, her husband and her kids is a daily challenge. “It’s not something I’ve figured out. I have days where I am having a hard time and then finally stop and think, maybe it’s because I didn’t consider reading my Bible, or I didn’t consider praying for our day or even going to God with my discipline problems. It’s got to be a daily practice.”

Shelly also tries to see everything as an act of worship. Worship to her can be praising God for the opportunity to be home with her kids to teach them who Jesus is, while she picks up toys for the twentieth time that day!

“I like to start the day by thinking about what my priorities are. Not just what are the things that need to get done today, because there will always be something to catch up on. Life needs to be a journey of worship, not a task.”

Tera became a Christian at Mars Hill|Ballard 5 years ago and is currently a deacon in the Redemption Group ministry where she and her husband, Deacon Greg Allen, serve as group leaders. She is passionate about walking with women through trials and encouraging them to worship Jesus in suffering. She and Greg have been married since February and are expecting their first baby in April.