This week I got a note from one of our team members who is the young mom of three little boys. She's in that stage of complete and utter exhaustion.
If you've ever been knee deep in poopy diapers while scratching your greasy head while simultaneously discovering the pattern on your over sized sweatpants is in fact a collection of snot wiped on you while your toddler clings to you like glue, you know where she is.
Maybe you are in that place right now.
Her e-mail so touched my heart because I realized I am no longer there. But in the midst of being in that hard season of life, I thought I'd never get out of it. I truly felt like motherhood would be full of poopy, snot, exhaustion, and over sized sweat pants for 18 years. And I felt super guilty for not loving every minute of it.
I'm in a different season now. (Though I still find myself wearing those over sized sweat pants!) And I realize it's my responsibility to call back to those behind me with encouragement, support and love.
So, to all my young mama friends- here's my call back to you...
Sweet young mother- honey child, honey child- I struggled so much when my kids were little.
People would tell me to appreciate these little years for they pass by in a blink. I'd go home blinking my little eyeballs to death wishing they would pass a little quicker.
But I must say, God used those years to grow me and stretch me more spiritually than anything else I've ever been through. Even when you only get little snippets of time with God, His lessons are there moment by moment.
Just the fact that I survived my first daughter is evidence of God's amazing grace working in my life. She once bit my face leaving me with a hole- A HOLE !- in the side of my cheek. With everything in me, I wanted to march her back to that hospital that aided me in birthing her and demand some DNA testing. I was certain I'd brought home the wrong child.
That is until my mama told me she'd been praying for years for me to birth someone just like me. Ahem. Payback for her was pure bliss.
Anyhow, moment by moment I survived. Life did not pass me by. Opportunity did not pass me by. And my ministry was right there waiting for me when I changed that last diaper.
Those years where I only did little people ministry within my home worked out some kinks between me and Lord and perfectly prepared my heart to be so much more real and authentic when I stepped back on the speaking stage. I came to realize my desperate need for God like never before.
I came to realize my desperate need for grace like never before. I came to realize that even a rule following girl like me can be pushed to cuss. And then I realized even more grace than before.
Hold on sweet sister. We love you. I love you. There is nothing wrong with you when you feel like you love those little people but some days you don't like them very much. It's okay. We've all been there. This too shall pass. And when it does you'll actually miss parts of it. And you'll actually not miss some parts of it too!
Hugs to you sweet sister~
_____________________________________________________________
Now for the contests:
Congrats to Unreasonable Grace- you are the winner of the Chick-fil-A coupons! Please e-mail Holly@Proverbs31.org and give her your mailing address.
As for the books give away with Marla, I thought I'd leave that post open through the weekend and choose a winner on Monday. Mainly because I have a hot date today with three young daughters who are ready, READY! READY! to have their mama take them snow tubing.
So, off to the mountains we are headed just for the day. Then I get back with ten minutes to spare to leave for a flight to Washington State where I'll be speaking tomorrow.
That certainly sounds like a recipe for excitement doesn't it? Me. Snowtubing. Driving through the mountains. Ten minutes to spare. Flight to catch.
Yeah, prayers would be much appreciated.
Happy Weekend y'all.
If you've ever been knee deep in poopy diapers while scratching your greasy head while simultaneously discovering the pattern on your over sized sweatpants is in fact a collection of snot wiped on you while your toddler clings to you like glue, you know where she is.
Maybe you are in that place right now.
Her e-mail so touched my heart because I realized I am no longer there. But in the midst of being in that hard season of life, I thought I'd never get out of it. I truly felt like motherhood would be full of poopy, snot, exhaustion, and over sized sweat pants for 18 years. And I felt super guilty for not loving every minute of it.
I'm in a different season now. (Though I still find myself wearing those over sized sweat pants!) And I realize it's my responsibility to call back to those behind me with encouragement, support and love.
So, to all my young mama friends- here's my call back to you...
Sweet young mother- honey child, honey child- I struggled so much when my kids were little.
People would tell me to appreciate these little years for they pass by in a blink. I'd go home blinking my little eyeballs to death wishing they would pass a little quicker.
But I must say, God used those years to grow me and stretch me more spiritually than anything else I've ever been through. Even when you only get little snippets of time with God, His lessons are there moment by moment.
Just the fact that I survived my first daughter is evidence of God's amazing grace working in my life. She once bit my face leaving me with a hole- A HOLE !- in the side of my cheek. With everything in me, I wanted to march her back to that hospital that aided me in birthing her and demand some DNA testing. I was certain I'd brought home the wrong child.
That is until my mama told me she'd been praying for years for me to birth someone just like me. Ahem. Payback for her was pure bliss.
Anyhow, moment by moment I survived. Life did not pass me by. Opportunity did not pass me by. And my ministry was right there waiting for me when I changed that last diaper.
Those years where I only did little people ministry within my home worked out some kinks between me and Lord and perfectly prepared my heart to be so much more real and authentic when I stepped back on the speaking stage. I came to realize my desperate need for God like never before.
I came to realize my desperate need for grace like never before. I came to realize that even a rule following girl like me can be pushed to cuss. And then I realized even more grace than before.
Hold on sweet sister. We love you. I love you. There is nothing wrong with you when you feel like you love those little people but some days you don't like them very much. It's okay. We've all been there. This too shall pass. And when it does you'll actually miss parts of it. And you'll actually not miss some parts of it too!
Hugs to you sweet sister~
_____________________________________________________________
Now for the contests:
Congrats to Unreasonable Grace- you are the winner of the Chick-fil-A coupons! Please e-mail Holly@Proverbs31.org and give her your mailing address.
As for the books give away with Marla, I thought I'd leave that post open through the weekend and choose a winner on Monday. Mainly because I have a hot date today with three young daughters who are ready, READY! READY! to have their mama take them snow tubing.
So, off to the mountains we are headed just for the day. Then I get back with ten minutes to spare to leave for a flight to Washington State where I'll be speaking tomorrow.
That certainly sounds like a recipe for excitement doesn't it? Me. Snowtubing. Driving through the mountains. Ten minutes to spare. Flight to catch.
Yeah, prayers would be much appreciated.
Happy Weekend y'all.
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