Today's link-up topic is on what motherhood looks like in your life right now, what motherhood looks like in the trenches of everyday life. Are you buried under a pile of baby socks and dirty diapers? Do you feel like you might just explode with love for your new little one? Are you feeling alone and small in the midst of the everyday? Has it been harder than you expected and you're feeling discouraged? Do you miss being able to see your feet over your expectant belly? Are you struggling to keep it together during the long days and up all nights? Does God feel nearer and bigger now that you are a mama or are you having trouble hearing Him over your baby's cries?
Use words, pictures, video, whatever you need to give us all a glimpse of what motherhood is for you right now, right where you are and link-up here to share the view.
Ok, here is my view from the trenches of motherhood...
"No! NO! No maam',no,no,no,no,no!" I hear myself say that word a thousand times a day. The wee one looks at me big eyed, babbles something indecipherable and grins. If I could understand a single word she might be in big trouble. God made little ones cute for a reason and it saves their lives again and again. We've finally got a routine and I'm learning that with Millie nothing is routine. Every stumbly step is an adventure and every drawer/basket/box/shelf is just waiting to be pillaged. My instinct is to say "no" because it makes me think that I am keeping her safe. Truth is I'm just trying to keep myself sane. I always told myself I would be a "Yes!" mama a mama that says "Yes!" to messy and "Yes!" to adventure. In reality it is way harder. All I see is the impending mess and a daddy who works hard to make our life possible but often comes home late and sometimes I am weary of it all.
It seems as if overnight we went from itsy bitsy baby to toddler. These days are simultaneously the best and the hardest. Doesn't the stage you find yourself in always seem like the hardest? Maybe not the hardest, but always a different hard with different joys and hurdles. There is a new found sense of independence that is coursing through her limbs and she is not a fan of holding mama's hand or having anything done for her. She defies the laws of physics with her ability to stay upright when her legs are moving to fast and her balance is anything but balanced. If it is quiet I wonder what she is doing, if it is noisy...I wonder what she is doing. It can all be a bit coo-coo inducing. But then there is her laugh and those four teeth that she smiles with from ear to ear. There is her stubborn streak and this new wasteland called tantrums that we are exploring. Let the journey be short, please, dear Lord, please. I'm not a fan of Tantrumland.
All the while I'm trying to learn how to set boundaries. How do I make the boundaries broad so she can run free within their walls? It doesn't make sense to just let her do whatever her heart wishes. It would mean disaster and a house fire I am relatively certain. At the very least it would mean a backed up toilet (because clearly the entire roll of toilet paper needs to be shoved inside). No, I have to say that some things are off limits not only for safety, but for sanity. The "Yes!" mama has to be a "No." mama some times and learning where that line lies is proving more difficult than I had ever imagined.
My "Yes!" has to be lived out right before her eyes. My "Yes!" is the life she sees me lead. Do I say "Yes!" to God without question? Do I know that there is no "NO!" in Christ? There is only yes, and yes and yes, God you are enough. Yes God, we will follow. Yes God, we will trust. Yes God, we believe in your provision. We have to be a "Yes!" family. A family that says yes to God and no to things that make us trust our own wisdom.
I'm reminded that this motherhood thing is hard and that it's for my sake that it is hard. These long days of motherhood are making up the short years of life and I get one God ordained, blessed and holy opportunity to show my little girl what "Yes!" to Jesus looks like. I'm feeling the weight of that blessing these days. I'm feeling that I'm on holy mothering ground and the stretching and molding I am feeling is as much for me as it is for her.
Share a tweet about your "Motherhood in the Trenches" post by using hastag #inmotherhood !
Grab the (in)motherhood button code!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.incourage.me/incouragers-new-moms"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtIJOQq96roJxJLi-lwMGsU5xmi40Vft6M8h6ELoUU0pgxjwX8h3ae_fN3Op-aqWUVwVNwVK2EKIG0BgRNVBA2JaZC4xnItgSzErmrHRLSYGDEtYIhVwqZo-jBCXtsEm3bOHWR1LPlCWx/s1600/incourage-motherhood.jpg" /></a></div>
No comments:
Post a Comment