My friends…they are encouraging and have such wise counsel. Parenting is not beautiful and glorious ALL the time. For us to see beauty we must also see beauty lives among heartache and pain. I believe that I’m only in the early years of parenting and I’m told that by friends and family they wish they could tell me that it gets easier but it doesn’t! *insert crying emoji*
Tonight’s blog comes to you via my friend from Chicago–her heart for young moms, specifically to me as her friend and a younger mom.
I sat there on the porch with baby in his stroller. A couple of blankets were tucked over his legs to keep the fall winds from freezing his legs and cute chubby toes. My phone rang, it rang three different times and the calls were not spam! First, I took a call from my sister with some fun news. My husband called on a break and shortly after, my friend called to chat and process. She laughed and her warm tone poured out joy. She said, “Sudea, I know you might not be feeling this way, but you are blessed. The kids might all be wanting your attention. I hear their voices. They bring me such joy!”
I smiled as baby boy was now walking around the path pulling at my leg. His mostly gummy smile and his long awkward baby hair gently moving in the wind. He gibber-jabbered saying baby things. My friend went on to share about this story she could not unhear and how she was impacted by it. Explaining the story she uttered ‘This boy looks at his mommy and tells her while she was having a crisis of sorts, “Don’t lose your heart, Mommy, because I’m in it.”‘
She cautioned me that in this time of pandemic and much stress (such an unprecedented time)… Moms, women, people…with one child, or the mom with multiples, or the single mom, or the stay-at-home mom, or the working mom… don’t lose your heart… your child or children are in it.
When we’re taking care of ourselves… tending to the emotions we’re feeling and going through, we need to remember our kids’ hearts are in ours… and ours in theirs. We can nurture our children and love out abundance when we ourselves are tending to keeping hope alive. Remember your worth and your value… God has made you with a plan, purpose and for good… your good and his glory. Believe it! Say to yourself.
Try not to lose heart… your children need you.
So timely for me who was struggling to teach and home-school and manage life… parenting each different kid and the drama and traumas, so to speak.
Mama (Dada)…Parent, don’t lose your heart. Take courage…
Here’s scripture to encourage you…
Joshua 1:9 "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Abundant Mommyhood 