We all go through “seasons” in our life. This one above is from 2014. Ava Kate was 2.5 and Claire 2 months old. This was a good season of my life, but a very hard one. As a parent of a child with special needs you never wish for the difficult struggles you go through on anyone else. That doesn’t mean you don’t wonder “God – why me?”
Yesterday at church our Pastor said something that really struck home with me and made me think – “wow, so true”! He stated “The WHY wouldn’t satisfy”. Even if we knew the reasons behind our trials or challenge that presents us, knowing the reason behind it wouldn’t satisfy us. We would still have to continue that journey because that is the path God wants us to take. But all the while God gives us grace in our journey. Thank Goodness for that, because I know as a mother I have sure needed it many times.
I feel God gives everyone the exact amount of whatever it may be, that you can handle. He knows our strengths and weaknesses better than we do. He knows what we are capable of.
Parents with these very special children (children with disabilities) or really difficult children in general; particularly those pint sized dictators called a toddler…we need all the help we can get.
I laugh but I am not joking. 2.5 was a HARD age for us and our oldest daughter. Due to our new adjustments in life with Claire. I was gone for a full month with Claire in the NICU. We brought home this new baby she had never met, but only heard of, and the new baby required A LOT of extra attention/needs.
Sometimes I wonder why God has so much faith in us. If only we had that much faith in him!
We need to know and have faith that he will give us something we can’t handle alone, but THROUGH HIM we got this!
I have friends who say “I don’t know how you do it Renee, I don’t think I could.”
You know…I think this often to myself. Not really sure how I do it either…because its just straight up HARD most days.
How do you get by day to day when you are in a fully exhausted mindset as a mom? STRENGTH.
“You can do all things through him who gives you strength.” – Philippians 4:13.
I can’t take credit for the strength that God gives me on these days. Its all HIM! Currently, I can’t even lift a bar with weights in Body Pump class right now…HA! My friends could testify to that! So that goes to show you right there…what strength I do have for my family all comes from him.
I mean in all honesty, many days I don’t think I am handling IT, “Motherhood”. If I am, I don’t consider doing it well- that is my personal thoughts. We are our own worst critic. That’s where that grace needs to come in.
What I do know is, it wouldn’t be possible without many cries out to God.
My reply to that compliment above (the “Not sure how you do it” one) usually was “well I don’t know” or I would say “no I don’t think I am doing it well…” or something along those lines. I don’t take complements well so its hard for me just to say “Thank you.”
I asked my mother one time… “What do I say to people when they tell me something like that, what do I say to them?”
She finally gave me something I could run with because it’s the truth.
The next time someone says, “I don’t know how you do it, there is no way I could as a mom.” Say– “You could. You would, and you have to. What other choice do you have. It’s what mothers do.”
Moms – You just have to push through, you sacrifice, and you try to stay strong for them. Is it easy? No. Do you want to cry non-stop some days? Yes. Do you want to occasionally pull your hair out, or have a glass of wine at 4:00 in the afternoon? YES AND YES – and I have. No judgment here.
Nevertheless, something I think stands true as a mom is somehow we have an overdrive button that gets flipped on in time of need and we just keep trucking. Do you know what I call that – God’s strength! Praise the lord for that because it seems to kick in right when I need it most days.
That is how I get through and I am able to do it. I pray to him, tell him how crappy my day has been. Then in order for me to muster up energy and strength to cook my kids dinner, give baths and read bedtime stories after a long day of work- I definitely need him to lean on and turn to. I need his strength. I need his guidance and his grace every day as a mom, but his strength especially!
The only other thing that I could really use help with this “mom brain” is if God would remind me to brush my teeth or put on deodorant before I head out the door!
