To the hot mess Momma who…
Wants to Quit- Part 1
I get you- I understand. I get the days where the homeschooling is so, so, so hard. Or the teenager hurts you in a new painfully deep way. The toddler who is sick and fussy and cries for you but is mad you all at the same time. When you just can’t find the right sippy cup and lid on the same day. When that teen breaks their retainer for what seems like the 10thtime. The days where the bills are greater than the income, the dishes are piling high, and the laundry is so deep you literally could drown in it. And then there’s that friendship, that just doesn’t seem worth your effort any longer, but you already are down to a handful of friends, can you really afford to lose one more?
Sometimes, we just want to be acknowledged for what we are feeling and our hurts. But then there are those other times, where we really wonder, ‘is quitting or running away an option?’ I know there have been many times that I have just felt like turning in a resignation letter. It would go something like this-
Dear God,
I tried really, hard. I love and adore these people you gave me, but the workload seems a little bit beyond my qualifications and abilities. I’m feeling like a failure and sort of at the end of me. What were you thinking?
Love,
Faythe
Please hear me, I adore my husband, I think my kids are one of God’s greatest gifts to me, but this wife/motherhood gig is hardcore and not for the faint of heart! I know all the scriptures about God’s yoke being easy and light and being able to do all things through Him. I also know my humanness, my drive for perfection, and sometimes my lack of discipline that can make His light yoke feel- oh so heavy. Then there are my little angels, those whose budding personalities are just beginning and all the way through to my strong young adult children whose opinions differ than mine. All of those things play a part in this seemingly alternate reality of ‘light yoke’ that God talks about in His word.
On my hardest days, when I feel most unqualified to share are the days that I know I need to, because some other hot mess momma is having these same issues and may be thinking they’re the only one. You probably know all that I’m about to share, but I just want to be that reminder to you, hang tight God’s teaching us something new here.
While having someone who understands or can relate to your situation can be good for the soul, it pales in comparison to what allowing God into your situation can and will do. He is bigger than all that you are facing, and He is a very present help in times of trouble. He is the one who can literally change it all. Now sometimes, ‘changing it all’ has so very little to do with changing our circumstances or even those around us. So often, God loves to do a work within us before anything outside of us or around us changes. What great news, right?!
So, what do we do? I think the most important thing we can do, is acknowledge our need for Him. He has EVERYTHING we need, for every single situation we face, but we need to talk to Him, let Him know we need Him, set ourselves in a place of surrender, and open the door for Him to work. I can think of many situations where maybe I didn’t do those things. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even think to stop and ask what God thought I should do next- I just reacted or responded to a situation. I gave out a punishment for a child without asking God what the wisest move was, or I responded to that text without stopping to ask ‘God, how would you handle this one’. God’s word promises to give us wisdom when we ask, so why do we so, so often forget to ask? I think sometimes it’s just that we are out of the practice of inviting Him into our everyday lives. Sometimes its deeper, we really think we can handle it on our own, or just don’t want His option. Then there are even those times that we may feel silly asking God for help on something so small and trivial, like we are saving God for our ‘big’ needs rather than allowing Him fulltime, all access to our lives. But whatever our reason, I want to encourage you to invite Him into all situations. He is more than willing, able, and available. He WANTS to do life with us, even the everyday. He LOVES you and is the absolute best at working out our messy situations into something to be used by Him.
Prayer:
Lord, as I go about my day, please help remind me to turn to you and welcome you into every situation. Be my helper today and allow me to position my life to be used mightily by you. I know that without You I am nothing, but with You I can do all things that are set before me. Please Lord, prepare the hearts and minds of my children today, let them see me running to You at every turn. Thank you so much for your goodness in my life. Amen.
Scripture:
God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble- more than enough and always available whenever I need you. ~Psalms 46:1 (TPT)
