jesus – Brittany M Putman

Write! Part 3

October 28, 2025 brittanymputman

Here On Earth…

The seizures gripped her. That’s really the only word to use to describe what seemed to be happening in that moment. The tumor in her brain caused all this. Her husband was close by and she turned her gaze towards him. Her eyes pleaded, ‘Help me.’ As I stood to the side, I watched a man full of love for his wife and faith in his Creator, call out for Lynette’s relief. Even though she was on medicine to dampen the seizures, they still overtook her left hand and arm multiple times an hour. I don’t know how frequently they came, I just remember how hard it was to watch… over and over again. The seizure would start, her husband knelt down by his wife, grabbed her hand and helped in the ways they had discovered limited the pain. As her hand would clamp down into a fist, Shaun worked to open it back up. This was helpful and gave her a bit of relief from the pain. At the same time, she locked eyes with the one she pledged to spend her life with. He locked eyes with her and prayed. He commanded the seizure to stop. He released healing over her brain and nerves. He sought the Lord to intercede and bring healing in the name of Jesus for this time and this place. Over and over again, I watched this dance between Lynette, the seizure, Shaun, and God.

What a powerful image I beheld. The way they locked eyes spoke volumes of not only their love for each other, but the trust they had for each other. Lynette found safety in Shaun, and Shaun found safety in Jesus. Their gaze communicated all that needed to be said. They derived strength from each other and from God to make it through another seizure until it subsided. Eventually, Shaun was called away to help with something in the home. With another seizure ended, Lynette and I could start back up with our conversation. I loved having these moments with her. Just she and I, sisters. We didn’t talk about too much, not anything too deep. We were just with each other, together, side by side. That was enough. That was the space we needed to fill in those moments.

Then it happened. Another seizure came, but Shaun couldn’t come in to help this time. I was there. It was my time to help. I grabbed her hand and asked if she needed me to open it. She nodded with pain in her eyes. As her hand tightened around mine, I worked to pry open her fingers. The wrestling was real and she was unable to control it. Her tumor had taken over and caused her body to tense and tighten. My hand was the only thing between her fingernails digging into her own palm. And then I prayed. “God, would you heal Lynette. Right now Lord, remove this tumor from her. Seizures, STOP in the name of Jesus. Tumor SHRINK in Jesus’ name. Health and healing come. Let the Holy Spirit’s healing be released over Lynette’s brain right now.” I continued to pray in this fashion until finally her muscles began to relax. Her fingers and arm released the tight hold and fell back, slumped against her side. The seizure had passed. This happened a number of times while I was alone with her. It was hard to see my sister in pain.

Unto Life…

It reminded me of back when I was 15 years old and it was Thanksgiving day. We had just finished up a wonderful meal with my aunt and uncle and Lynette and Shaun. Lynette didn’t eat much that day. She was in a bit of labor, but not enough to head to the hospital. Her first child was going to make her debut soon! We were all so excited and were just waiting for the moment when she’d need to rush to the hospital. But, it didn’t come during dinner and it was time to say goodbye to our guests. While Mom and Shaun walked my aunt and uncle out to the car, Lynette said that she needed to use the bathroom before they headed home. I was still in the house when I heard Lynette scream. “Ah! My water broke! Brittany, get me a towel! Tell Shaun!” A flurry of activity hit our house and before I knew it, Shaun had whisked Lynette off to the hospital. Mom and I followed suit as quickly as we could.

Soon we were ushered to the labor and delivery room where Lynette was dressed in hospital garb and hooked up to a few monitoring machines. I had never been in a room with a woman in labor before. What was all this stuff? Lynette explained that one of the machines monitored her contractions. She always found ways to teach what she knew, even in the rests between contractions. Then I heard Shaun say, “It looks like another one is coming,” his eyes watching the paper read out. He sat down next to her. He took her hand in his and looked deeply into Lynette’s eyes. She locked her gaze to his and then we heard him count, “1…2…3…” and so on. As he counted, Lynette breathed in and out. She looked to Shaun to regulate her breathing and therefore her pain. She hadn’t taken any pain medicine! This was how they chose to start labor, trusting each other, eyes and hands locked, and understanding and loyalty that transcended the pain of the contraction. Afterall, each contraction was unto something. Each one brought them closer to meeting their first child.

Brittany visiting Lynette after her third child was born

At some point, Shaun needed to step away from Lynette’s bedside and I was invited to sit near her. I happily chatted in my 15 year old, little sister way. She listened and responded, weary as she was. Suddenly, her stomach began to contract and I felt her hand in mine. She held tight and looked into MY eyes. At 15, I didn’t know what to do. I had never seen that look of pain mixed with a bit of trepidation and pleading from her. She bored into my eyes and I knew it was my turn. I had watched Shaun, I could do this. I squeezed her hand back and counted, “1…2…3…” As she breathed, I felt her nails dig into my hand. For a moment, I shared a small amount of her pain. She needed me. My big sister needed me and I rose to the challenge. Quickly, Shaun returned and glided into place. Her gaze switched to him, and I felt relief wash over me. I had done my part, but it was so intense. I hadn’t expected that. That little bit seemed to empty me out and grow me up all at once. My sister needed … ME! I had something to offer her after all those times she helped me. Wow!

Some time later, it was time for her to push. I took a position near her shoulder and had the privilege of seeing my niece come into the world. What a miracle! The miracle of LIFE! It was beautiful and emotional and exhausting. To this day, I am so thankful that I was allowed to be in that room, to experience that moment. Throughout her life, Lynette was an advocate for pregnancy and childbirth. She cherished each of her ten births, children that filled her home and her heart. Ten times, she repeated the process of pain unto something… unto life! Ten times, she and Shaun did the dance of locking hands and eyes and breathing together as partners. So many things go unspoken in big moments, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they go uncommunicated.

And Into Eternity…

Whether unto life or unto death, Lynette communicated in the most painful moments. She showed her love and commitment to Shaun and received it in return. She shared her trust with me, even though I was inexperienced. She invited me to come alongside her and learn and grow. Through her sickness, she also showed her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. She turned to him in the most painful moments. She spoke with him in the quiet moments of the night and when her worry threatened to overtake her. Her favorite playlists were songs that reminded her of Jesus and his goodness. She immersed herself in worship music day and night. Through all the hardship, she looked on HIM, Jesus. And in the end, I imagine, He was the one who took her by the hand and their eyes locked with one another. The unspoken communication that said, ‘You are safe, healed, and whole. You are now home and you have run your race so well.’

Ultimately, her final pain wasn’t unto death, but unto eternal life. She made a decision during her lifetime to make Jesus her Lord and Savior. He was the leader of her life. She believed in him and that he came to earth and died as a sacrifice for her sins, and the wrongdoings of the world. Jesus, the only one worthy to take our place because he was perfect. He never did anything wrong or sinful. God’s one and only son, chose to give up his life so that we could have our lives for eternity. Jesus chose first and Lynette chose next. In the end, her death was actually a welcoming into a new part of her life, her eternal life. If you want that life, you can have it too. The Bible says, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.’ All you have to do is call out to Jesus.

You can say, ‘Jesus, I believe in you. I want to live eternally with you. I believe that you came to this earth and died in my place to pay for all the wrong things I have done and will do. I accept your sacrifice on my behalf. And I believe that you rose to life again and are now seated in Heaven with God. I choose to make you my leader, my Lord. You are my Savior. I want to be forever yours. Please guide me in my life and teach me how to follow you. Amen.’

If you said this prayer for the first time or if you are rededicating your life to Jesus, then I recommend a few steps. Find a Bible and read the book of John (towards the last third of the Bible). Find a Christian friend and a church that can help you connect with other people who have made this their life choice too. God loves a family, and it’s so good to follow Jesus with other people. One day, you too will have the Lord take your hand and say, ‘You are now home.’

(To be continued in a future blog post)…

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Mothers Matter – Mother’s Day 2025

June 2, 2025 brittanymputman

Left Behind…

There was a time when I felt left behind because of my role as a mother. So many other people, women and men, got to go off and do ‘church stuff’ and ministry. Yet there I was at home with my young kids. After all, someone had to feed them at a decent hour and get them to bed. This feeling of being left behind, of being less than, was especially hard as my husband’s ministry and role at church was increasing. I noticed how exciting things were becoming for him. I wanted excitement. I realized how many of my friends were attending different events. I wanted to be free to attend too. I saw the recognition being given to those pressing in for more of the Holy Spirit’s presence. I wanted recognition too, at the very least for being at home with my kids. I felt like I was really missing out and even more deeply, I didn’t want to miss out on the big things that God was doing.

It wasn’t always hard to choose my kids over ministry. I absolutely LOVED my kids (and still do). I always wanted to be a mom, I just didn’t know all that I’d have to give up. I’m not sure we ever know the extent of that until we’re actively parenting. I also never experienced the complete fulfillment and satisfaction of spending time in the presence of the Holy Spirit and praying for other people until I had already become a mom. That’s just how my faith journey turned out. Feeling like I couldn’t have it both ways, being a Mom and participating in ministry, was really hard. It became easy to count all the things I was giving up and it was so easy to get into a ‘woe is me’ attitude. In one of the harder moments, I went on and on with the Lord about how I was feeling and what I was longing for. I complained and I whined … and you know what? He listened. I was thankful that he didn’t chastise me for all the complaints I sent his way. In his loving kindness, he let me tell him the pain and sadness I was experiencing. He was a safe place. A safe place to share, a safe place to cry, and a safe place to process my feelings.

That morning, I headed into my daily Bible reading. I happened to be reading 1 Samuel 30.That’s when David and his men went off to fight a battle. Well, some men stayed behind to keep watch over the baggage because “they were too exhausted.” When I read that line, I could immediately relate. Boy was I feeling tired and exhausted during that time of my life. Sometimes it felt like I couldn’t go on either. Those little baby to Pre-K kiddos really kept me on my toes! As I kept reading, the story goes that David and his men had victory in the battle and they returned with the spoils of battle! Accusingly, some of the men who went to battle said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered.” Ouch. That’s not really nice. The Bible actually called those men ‘wicked and worthless.’ Yikes!

Anyway, David, in his wisdom said, “For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” Wait, had I just read that correctly? The people who stayed behind because they were too exhausted and so they looked after the baggage… they were going to get a share of the spoil/plunder/rewards as if they had gone out to battle? When I read those words that day, the Lord filled my heart and mind with the knowing that what I was doing as a mother was important. Staying with my young children sometimes felt like ‘staying behind with the baggage’. And when I might have a chance to actually go out and do something, I was often just too tired and exhausted to do it! But here was God impressing on me that being a mother… mothering my kids was really important. He was telling me that I wouldn’t miss out on the rewards of doing ‘spiritual battle’ (ministry) just because I stayed behind with the kids. No. Indeed, I would still have a share in the rewards! I too would be rewarded for my choice to be with my kiddos… to minister to my kiddos through my calling as a mother. Whoa! The Lord said emphatically to me in that moment, what I was doing mattered. My heart was full. ……….

Mothers and Mothering Matters…

Recently, I was looking through some prophetic words I have received over the years. I came across one from August of 2020. In it, the person who was hearing something from the Lord for me, felt like God was highlighting the words ‘Mothers Matter.’ I couldn’t agree more. As I reflected on that, I knew this is what I wanted to share today.

Mothers Matter. Whether you’re a Biological, Adoptive, Foster, or Desiring Mom; an Auntie, Big Sister, Grandmama, or Spiritual Mom… all ‘Mothers’ Matter. Because it’s not just the fact of being a Mom, but it’s the ACTIONS of mothering that really matter.

Mothers and MOTHERING matters.

Mothers, Do you know this? Women, do you? Do you know that what you do and do not do matters? You have an impact on each and every person you come into contact with. Whether or not you’re a mother, there are still so many ways that we leave a mark on people… for the good or not so good.

Every heart longs to have loving mothering. Years ago, a close friend and I were talking about the most recent sermon she had heard on the subject of ‘Father Wounds’. She said, “You know, everyone talks about ‘father wounds’, but no one talks about ‘mother wounds’.” That statement took me off guard. First, I hadn’t expected it, but second, when I really thought about it, I hadn’t heard any teachings about wounds from a mother either. She went on to say, “I have mother wounds that need healing.” What were they? I didn’t know exactly, but I did know that she was sincere in her request for healing. Her heart had been wounded along the way by a LACK of mothering. She was hurting … because mothering matters. She needed a kind of mothering that she wasn’t getting from her biological mother. This got me asking the question, “Could she get this needed mothering elsewhere?”

Yes! Yes,the Lord can raise up mothers from anywhere! Another time, a young woman came to me and asked for prayer. Her prayer was for her mother to rise up and support her in a time when she deeply needed her mom. In the past she had been able to rely on her grandmother for all that support, but Grandma had passed away and now another round of need was creeping up. She desperately wanted her Mom to be the mother that she needed in that moment. And as I prayed for her, I felt the Lord prompting that whether or not her own legal mother rose to the challenge, the Lord was inviting me into mothering her. No, not to become her mother, but to have mothering actions toward her. There was no need to do anything extravagant or in-depth, but the invitation was to be available in that moment, to be ready to love, and to speak LIFE into her! I had the opportunity to encourage her as a mother would and to hug her as a mother would and to come alongside of her in her need, as a mother would. It was beautiful and lovely. I found out later that her mother DID come around to meeting her needs. She was so thankful that her mother responded in this way and also thankful that there was someone safe that she could share those needs with in the first place. I’m so glad the Lord made space that day for the two of us to connect. It wasn’t long, but it was enough. It made an impact on her and it made an impact on me.

Biblical Examples of Mothering…

What’s so important about mothers? What sort of actions do they take that we long for? What good are they? Well, I submit to you that we need mothers around us to hold us up when we’re weary. We need mothers who will give us a hug, a human touch. We need mothers around us to call things out in us. Mary did this to Jesus when she prompted him to do a miracle about the wine at a wedding. (John 2:1-11)

We need mothers who will pray for us when we are at our lowest. We need mothers who will seek God for his saving power when our lives are in the balance. The Shunammite mother in 2 Kings 4:18-37 did just this to save her dying son. She knew the power of God and his faithfulness and when her son was dying, she went after Elisha, the prophet of God. He prayed over her son and he came back to life!

We need mothers who will step in when our own mothers cannot. Not every mother is able to care for their child for one reason or another. We see this in Pharaoh’s daughter who pulled Moses out of the river and raised him as her own when his own mother couldn’t. We need women to do just that today! (Exodus 2:1-10)

We need all sorts of mothers doing all sorts of roles, because God created mothers and mothering for the benefit of humankind. He put his own nature of nourishing and nurturing into humanity because it is part of his image… And it is good. Mothering is good.

We see that Jesus loved mothers too. He healed them and their children… yes… and even his own mother he held close to his heart. As Jesus was close to death he saw his mother and his disciple, John and he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” Jesus blessed his mother and John by making them a family in a few short sentences. He knew they would need each other. (John 19:25-27)

Ralph Pallen Coleman | Waiting For The Word | CC BY 2.0

So, today I say, MOTHERS MATTER. We need all types of mothers in our lives. We need a multitude of mothers. As I think about my own areas of interaction, I can see so many types of mothers around me. Biological, Adoptive, and Foster Moms. Mothers who hold the dream of a child in their heart. Aunties who come alongside children to encourage them. Big Sisters who look out for and teach their younger siblings. I see Spiritual Mamas who speak prophetically into our hearts and release callings over us. And I’m sure there are more! God has put motherhood into his people.

So, would you rise to the actions of mothering for those around you today? Would you pray for others, call out the talents in others, seek healing for others, and with Jesus, even pull those out of the water who desperately need a mother?

It’s clear to see that Mothers Matter…and…Mothering Matters… Thank you to all the types of mothers out there. We need you and we are thankful for you. Thank you.