July 16, 2014

Being A Mom Is Tough

I'm a real Mom, with real kids, and real messes. I have come to the conclusion that there are two areas in my home that will never be a spotless or as tidy as I like: the kids craft area and the dining room. For whatever reason those areas are where the children gravitate when they want to spend time doing things, dragging out toys, drawing, you name it. The rest of my house stays clean as can be, so I have learned to put that aside and let those two areas be areas of joy and creativity for my children, and I've stopped trying to make them into two other perfectionist parts of the house for me. As a single Mom it's even harder to keep on top of everything while you're working full-time, going to college full-time, and have three kids under the age of 11. I should also let you know that I've been a single Mom for 7 years and do it with no help from the father or my family either physically, emotionally, or financially. I truly am a one woman show! 

I used to be a perfectionist and it was became almost the death of me. I'm learning to let that go little by little and although I look around and things still bother me, I do not rush over to try and correct them. Sometimes I stop and smile and look around at the different things in those areas and the joy that they brought to my children. Sometimes I stop and I look up to the heavens, smile, and thank God that He is refining me and relaxing me to be a mother of quality instead of quantity in  the things that I do. That He is allowing me to see the beauty in the mess and imperfections of my life. That He is showing me that although being a Mom is tough, it is also one of the greatest blessings that The Lord has bestowed upon women. I could not imagine my life without my kids. 

Being a Mom doesn't come with instructions. There are no easy answers to some of our most difficult times, at least not answers that we can see. Children go through so many changes, and we as parents go through changes along with them. Being a Mom is frustrating, stressful, sad sometimes, joyful many times, worrisome, full of fear and anxiety about the future, a beautiful learning experience, and crowded with daily decisions and emotions. Are we doing our best job? What are we doing wrong? How is it going to affect them? Are we too lenient, are we too strict? There are a million questions we could ask ourselves on a daily basis. The bottom line is--being a Mom is tough, but the rewards mirror those of the treasures that we store up for heaven. There never has been and never will be anything like the experience of motherhood. So embrace the messes, laugh at the frustrations, smile at the trials, and remember that our strength comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He will see us through all, and thank goodness he has such a beautiful sense of humor to allow us to embrace even the hardest of times with joy, peace, and continuous learning. 

Kids may not come with instructions, but our life does have an instruction book of the best kind to help us handle things and show us where to go when we need help. That book has always been, is, and always will be the Bible. In it you will find all you need to know about how to live a godly life, how to teach your children in the right ways, where to go when you need to cry out in anger, hurt, frustration. What to do in overwhelming moments of joy and gratitude, and how you can share that and spread that to others. God gave us the most perfect gift when he created the Bible and it is a gift of the written Word that is never out of date, it's information is never old or ineffective, and it is a lifesaver for this single Mom! So yes, I'll say it again--being a Mom is tough…but our God is tougher!

4 comments:

  1. Love this! I'm here from the blog hop and love that your post was the one before mine because I identify with you on so many levels. I'm a perfectionist that also came to the realization a few months ago that keeping the play area neat and clean just wasn't practical. It's a place for my kids to be kids. As long as they help me clean up when it gets out of hand, I don't care how much of a mess they make. And I can identify in a very small way with being a single mom. My husband works 14+ hour days and sometimes works away from home leaving early Monday morning and coming home late Saturday evening. It's a hard life, but like you said our God is tougher than anything life throws at us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kara. It has been a long process of battling perfectionism, and I won't say I don't still cringe when I pass by a little mess or something out of place, but God is refining me and I can at least walk past it now without immediately having to take care of it. Being a Mom is messy, but it is also a lot of fun! Thank goodness for God's grace and mercy!

      Delete
  2. Thanks for commenting on my blog hop post. You are a Super Woman. I like what you said that God is tougher. It's so true. We have to remember he doesn't give us more than we can handle. Sometimes I wonder what he is thinking, cause sometimes He gives us so much. You are such a blessing to your children. Thank you for being a mom that just tries her best and know that your best is good enough. You have such a loving, sharing heart. Love that. Great blog hop post. Blessings to you sister. Tina Halvorson

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh goodness, Tina, thank you for the compliment. I am far from superwoman, but I do have a super God! And actually, I believe God DOES give us more than we can handle but He never gives us more than HE can handle...because it is in those times we learn to trust Him deeper and our faith grows stronger. Thank you for being a lover of Christ, a devoted mother, and a beautiful soul!

      Delete