I had just gone down to the basement to tend to laundry when they started. "Mama! Mommy! Hey Mama! Mommy!" Already dangerously close to blowing my top, I realized that they weren't going to stop until I answered them. Leaving the laundry and stomping up the stairs, I threw the back door open and screamed "WHAT!?!?" The dispute over there being too many people on the trampoline was easily settled (umm, by me grabbing the guilty party off) and I went back inside to finish my laundry. It had already been a stressful morning. It just seemed like my kids were at odds with each other and I felt like I was having to correct them every 10 minutes.
Back inside, God gently drew my attention to the fact that I was stewing over it all, and I literally felt how tense my body was. My jaws were clenched, my brow was furrowed, and my body was tense with frustration. Immediately I was taken back in time to a few years ago, when my dear midwife was helping me through my difficult labors. After a contraction she would whisper to me, "Okay, now that's over. Just let it go. Relax. Take a deep breath. And we will wait for the next one."
When I have a particularly hard day and it seems like the kids are testing my patience over and over again, instead of letting it go I let each 'offense' pile up, and I get more and more upset each time. Then it gets to the point that I explode, and have to apologize for it later.
What I need to do is take a moment, relax, and let it go when my children seem particularly difficult. I need to remember those sweet words from my midwife, so that I will be able to calmly handle the next trial that will come my way on this journey of mothering and schooling three young children.
4 comments:
That's good! We are laboring to deliver our children into the WORLD, not literally, like you said. There are contractions. How you handle the contraction determines how effective it is! WOW!! You have really made me stop and think today! Thanks!
PS. The grace of God is a wonderful thing ;)
Now if we can only remember this :) Maybe it helps if we have someone whispering it in our ear.
Ooh, I do love this post, thank you! I find myself in the same scenario...way too often. And what a good reminder to just let it go.
I found your blog through a comment on Marriage life ministries...thank you for sharing your painful story, thank you for being transparent about the breakdown in your marriage, and giving people (who are desperately seeking for) hope. Our marriage collapsed a year ago...and we are still on the roller coaster that you so well described. I read your story with tears, identifying with so much that you wrote.
I am going to follow your blog from here on! Blessings to you and your family!!
Thank you, Anna. I am so happy that our story has given you hope. I hope that it has shown you just how powerful God's hand is :) If you ever want to email me, I would love to chat!
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