Mom Had A Rough Day
I found myself sitting in an old, weather-worn lawn chair. Once it could have been referred to as white but now it was stained with permanent dirt speckles and discoloration from the sun. It wasn't much to look at and didn't offer much comfort, but it was a seat and in it I sat. I sat for what felt like an hour, when in reality only twenty minutes had lapsed.
The sun dropped lower below the horizon as if it could feel my wrath brewing and was hiding in case of an eruption. The fading rays of sunlight danced through the leaves on the tree in front of me. Birds flitted about back and forth, chasing each other carelessly through the sky. They communicated through cheerful song. The hum of our pool filter, churning of our air conditioner, and constant buzz of traffic on the street above seemed to shattered the peace I was reaching for. I couldn't grasp it.
Every unwelcome noise seemed to irritate me further. I knew my spirit needed to be calmed, but I couldn't do it on my own.
"Lord, speak to me through Your word. Show me something that will bring me comfort."
I pulled out my iPhone and opened my Bible app. My finger glided across the screen without hesitation, following my heart and allowing God to lead my selection. My finger first fell on Lamentations.
"Okay" I thought "I don't recall much about this book."
Then I selected Chapter 3....
Verse 17....
And I read....
"My soul has been rejected from peace;
I have forgotten happiness."
My honest first reaction, "Um, okay that's kind of depressing and not really what I had in mind, Lord."
I felt an urge to ponder the verse and discover a deeper meaning. In that raw moment it was exactly what I felt and what I needed to hear. God was offering reassurance that I wasn't alone. The author of those words felt it too. And God was with them as well.
I continued to read...
"So I say, "My strength has perished,
And so has my hope from the Lord."
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the
wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord."
And there is was...peace.
I felt refreshed enough to venture back into my house with composure and a peaceful mindset.
Prior to this, the events of the day had built up and irritated me more than usual. It was around "THAT TIME" of the month and my hormones were raging like rabid monkeys confined within a cage just waiting to be unleashed on the world. (<----- Now doesn't that paint a lovely picture in your mind). This made being "Mom" and "Honey" so much more trying. There was conflict between husband and wife, mother and child and everything was unraveling before I could catch my breath.
Motherhood isn't easy. Being a wife isn't easy. Let's face it, sometimes being a women is downright hard! Sometimes I miss the mark. Sometimes I completely fall flat on my face. One thing I've learned is to not beat myself up too badly. The Holy Spirit will convict to help us grow stronger in the future by seeking forgiveness and learning from past mistakes. Beyond that Satan will whisper deadly lies that will seep into our hearts and rob us of our joy if we let him.
Don't believe Satan's lies. God loves you and your hope lies in Him. <---- Tweet This!
I know many moms who lie in bed at night reflecting on the events of the day. Some moms observe and learn, to hopefully do better tomorrow. Others dwell on those mistakes, beating themselves up mentally for their failures.....I know because I used to be one of those moms. Every night lying in bed I would reflect on all the negatives (instead of focusing on the positives) and go to sleep feeling like I failed my kids and my family....I wasn't perfect, I wasn't doing enough. Well, dear friends, none of us are perfect and none of us could ever give our families EVERYTHING they need as much as we want to.
God doesn't want us dwelling on our past. We all make mistakes, but God's mercies are new each morning. Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to show your family how much you love them, to show them Christ's love through your actions.
God will offer you refreshment, strength, wisdom, patience, and peace to fulfill your calling as a mom. Seek Him and He will not withhold these gifts from you when you ask.
Yes, Mom had a rough day; But God is bigger than rough days. <---- Tweet This!
