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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Short & Sweet: Keep Trying




5 years ago, my dad became an ordained minister. Yesterday, my brother said yes to preaching after feeling led to do so for about a year. That woman in between them, that's my mom, the wife who left her husband on a ladder with a log in hand on a Sunday because he stubbornly refused to get right with God until the cabin was built and the mother who desperately wanted her babies (my sister, brother, and I) to grow up in a good and loving home in every possible way. Without her willingness to seek God, I have my doubts that any of us would be where we are. I'm thankful for her desire to know God, for her countless prayers, and for the loving home she's inspired me to have for our little family. 

Fellow moms, I don't know about you, but I fail daily as a wife and a mom. Many moments are spent in tears and frustration, though it gets better with time and perspective. Growing up, I never felt like my mom failed as either wife or mom, though on multiple occasions she's told me otherwise. I'm thankful for her honesty, because it gives me hope that my daughter will see her mama's attempts at patience and that she will ultimately know that I was fully human but gave every ounce of effort into raising her. It gives me hope that my husband will forgive and love and pray for me just as my dad did for my mom, and that we will stand alongside one another on this parenting journey. 

In this season of raising little ones, it's not always easy to muster the courage and strength needed for long and tiring days. You do it anyway. Loving relentlessly, living your best by the fruit of the spirit, and praying for your spouse and children, you attempt motherhood. There are weak days, days when you feel your child only sees the ugly, and days when you convince yourself that if there were a gold medal for slacking, you'd win with the best time. The good news is this: God extends grace on your bad days, your children are forgiving, and your spouse loves unconditionally. When you feel like giving up, keep trying, and remember that your bad minute, hour, or day does not define you. 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this boost honey,even though my boys are men, they're still my babies and there are days I think, could I have done better, make different choices? Now I'm helping to raise my granddaughter and am making different choices, trying to do "better " but only God knows what path she'll choose . Keep up the good works, and God bless you

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    1. Thank you, Kelly. I have found that my best efforts alone will never be enough. My prayer is that my daughter will see Jesus reflected in me on my weak and strong days, and that I will always cling to Him in this parenting journey.

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