I Stopped Having a “Quiet Time” After Becoming a Mom — and It Brought Me Closer to God

Rooted Rhythms - Pt. 5: The Soft 7 Rhythms for an Intentional Life Rhythm 1 (Scripture)

I grew up in church, but I didn’t start actively following Jesus until around 2016. Growing in my faith at that time already felt like how I imagined a baby feels as it learns to walk. But throw in becoming a new mom in the pandemic while also in a five-year burnout stint, and I felt like someone took the training wheels off my bike mid-lesson and pushed me into the middle of the Tour de France.

Long story short, I was a bit wobbly.

During this time, I became involved in a community group, learned to serve in the church, and took a nine-month, seminary-level discipleship class that deepened my understanding of theology.

In my daily life, though, I was flailing when it came to maintaining a consistent quiet time with God and figuring out how to read and meditate on the Bible when I couldn’t even remember if I showered or ate that day.

I was so bogged down by everything I thought my quiet time should look like in terms of time, content, and structure that I missed God’s invitation for how it was designed to be: a messy meeting between a loving, pursuing, relational God and a broken, burnt-out new mother in desperate need of her Father.

It was here that the first rhythm of my Soft 7 Rhythms of an Intentional Life was born.

What is The Soft 7?

The Soft 7 is not a rigid checklist to accomplish, but a gentle guide that provides structure to my day and helps me move forward toward my goals while taking care of myself and my family. They are as follows:

1. Scripture (time with God)

2. Stillness (worship and meditation)

3. Sustenance (balanced and nourished eating)

4. Steps (joy-filled movement)

5. Story (creative pursuits)

6. Service (doing something for others)

7. Surrender (releasing the day back to God)

When I hit my lowest point of burnout, Scripture was one of the first rhythms I lost and one of the last I learned to hold again.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love God. I just felt numb. Overwhelmed. Like even opening my Bible took energy I didn’t have.

What Changed

Little by little, though, I started finding ways to reconnect as I became hyper aware of how much my kids were watching.

It was in the little things like:

• A single verse on the fridge that encouraged memorization

• Worship music during nap time or chores

• Bible memory songs with my kids on the drive to preschool

• Family Bible reading at bedtime

Other times, my time with God was more broken and pleading, coming in the form of crying out in prayer in front of my kids, asking for grace and wisdom, and demonstrating true, utter dependence on Him.

I would’ve never considered those to be “quiet time” moments with God. In my head, I was failing because I wasn’t having 30 minutes of intense prayer or study with God before my kids woke up. I was just a mom desperately reaching out for my Savior in the small moments of my life.

In many ways, I felt like the widow in the Bible story with the two small coins she gave as an offering. At the time, I felt like I was giving nothing, but in reality, those small moments were everything I had.

But those small moments began to rebuild something into a sacred, daily habit.

As a former church kid, it didn’t look like how I thought it needed to in order to be considered “enough,” but God multiplied these little offerings throughout the day into bigger things that changed my heart and the rhythms of my family.

Soft Faith Practice: The 3S Framework for Gentle Rhythms

If you’re in a similar season, it’s ok if you don’t start with a plan. I started with a framework — one I can carry into any rhythm, any day, and any level of energy.

I call it the 3S Framework: Slow Down, Simplify, Sustain. Here is how you can use it to gently weave in the rhythm of Scripture:

Slow Down

Before you try to do anything, pause. Take one deep breath and ask God to focus your heart for the next 5 minutes. Let your nervous system settle as best as you can. This is where you remember that God is already present; you’re not trying to reach Him, you’re responding to Him.

Simplify

Choose the smallest possible version of the rhythm. One verse to read. One song to listen to. One sentence of prayer. One quiet moment in the car or at the sink. Let “enough” be enough. Involve your kids too! I often found that sometimes even just reading a simple kids’ Bible story and letting the simple truth wash over me did more than trying to dissect a passage.

Sustain

Ask yourself, Can I do this again tomorrow?

If the answer is no, make it softer. The goal isn’t intensity but intention.

In hard seasons, focus on your consistency rather than your capacity. Capacity fluctuates, but consistency holds us firm.

This is how I begin folding the rhythms into the nooks and crannies of real life, instead of building a separate, fragile version of faith that only works on ideal days.

If you want to go deeper into this framework, I wrote more about the heart behind the 3S Framework and how I use it to rebuild life after burnout here:

Faith With Our Children

As my own faith grew, I noticed how naturally it began to spill into my girls’ lives.

We started small: reading a verse at breakfast, listening to Bible songs in the car, or thanking God for simple things before bed.

Faith doesn’t always have to be taught through a formal plan. It’s often caught through the rhythms of our daily lives.

I have often been surprised and humbled by how my now five-year-old manages her emotions and works through hard things because she has seen me visibly (and audibly!) break down and bring my heart and pain to God. Faith is best lived out loud.

When our kids see us turning to God in ordinary moments, they learn that faith isn’t a Sunday-only ritual. It’s an everyday relationship.

Sometimes the holiest moments with our families happen in the daily chaos rather than the divine church.

If You Need a Gentle Guide

If you’re in a season where even soft rhythms feel hard, I’ve been slowly building a small digital resource library for moms rebuilding after burnout with simple guides, soft faith practices, and printable rhythms you can come back to when your energy runs out. Your purchase includes lifetime access to it, along with all future additions, and pay-what-you-want pricing starting at $10, so hopefully it's financially accessible to anyone who needs it.

It’s here whenever you need something to lean on.

In Closing

God never promised us an easy life following Him, but He did promise that we would never be alone while doing it, and I want to remind you of that promise today, sweet friend.

Much love,

Sarah

*If you’ve been encouraged by this post and want to support my writing, you can “buy me a coffee” to help me keep creating gentle, faith-filled content.