Motherhood, so far...

 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore.  Jude 24-25

We live in a broken, fallen world. Every day, I wake up and struggle with that. As a wife and mother, most days I wrestle with feeling overwhelmed by my daily tasks. Sleep doesn’t feel restful, because there is too much to be done, and when I actually close my eyes it seems brief.

10 months ago, I became a mommy. It was—apart from marriage—the most sobering transition I’ve faced so far. I carried this tiny baby in my womb, and suddenly, she’s out in the world and we are magically parents. Did this mean I would know how to meet her needs? Not necessarily. I had to figure it out. I’ve always found it comical that you are allowed to take the baby home a few days post-birth. Like I’m supposed to know how to care for a tiny little human?!:)

This entire [almost] year of my daughter’s life has been a whirlwind. I have loved every minute—even the messy, disorganized, smelly ones. But, some days, admittedly, I feel like I am barely surviving…barely hanging on by the thread of my last cup of [insert caffeine-infused drink here].  A few days ago, upon my recent realization of this, I cried out to the Lord,

Father, I want to do this well. Show me. I don’t want to feel drained of energy constantly, and discouraged because I’m not giving my best to you and my family. Help.

This past month I have felt weighed down by exhaustion. It seems that sleep, exercise, water, clean eating, etc. doesn’t change that. I have felt drowned by fatigue, which spirals into discouragement because nothing seems to work. Have you been there?

In a [rare] quiet moment this morning, He whispered,

I am here. I am for you. I love you. I am holding you. In every season, in every transition, whatever the circumstance, I do not change. Embrace my fearless love. Rest in my unchanging ways. Cling to me as your hope. And remember that in everything, I am God. I am in control. You are not meant to merely survive. Run to me each morning. Lay your burdens on me; I can handle it. In doing that, you will flourish.

Beloved friends, do not lose heart! Wherever you are this morning, however you feel, whatever you face, stop and take a moment to meditate on His radical love. Repeat the words above to your heart. Yes, staying at home seems daunting for me sometimes, but that in itself is beautiful! It compels me to come flat on my face before the Throne of Grace every morning.  God has created me for these people and this purpose. The end result: HIS GLORY. I will reflect HIS IMAGE!

Other helpful avenues of encouragement:

1.      1.  Seek out community. God has not called you to live out this purpose alone. Find a friend or a group of friends to walk alongside and pray with you. It helps, I promise. Plus, you’ll meet some totally awesome people. God has blessed my family with some wonderful friends who have become like family through our church and Bible study group! Man, I sure am thankful. Because of them, I feel a little LESS crazy :)

2.      2.  Pray. By yourself. With another woman. Both. You will be reminded of what God is doing and how to continue praying to that end. Plus, you’ll become more aware of your daily need for Him.

3.    3.    Memorize the Word. Find a passage to claim over this situation and know. Chew on it daily until it is burned in your mind. That way, when the Enemy tries to attack, you can fight him with your personal promise from the Lord.

4.      4.  Pour out. For me personally, when the hard days come, I ask the Lord for opportunities to serve Him—whether through checking in on a friend, writing a note, making a care package for someone, etc. I’m learning there are many ways to creatively love people even when you’re tied down by an infant schedule. J Psalm 126:6 promises that God will bless us when we pour out on the dark days.

5.      5.  Be vulnerable. Share your struggles. The more open and honest you are with others about how you have been challenged, the more opportunities you have to share about what God has done! You’ll be surprised to learn that you’re not alone.

What about you? What is your calling today? In this season of life? Who are your “people”? What is your burden? Surrender it to the Father.

He is more than able to keep you from falling…