The dishes in my sink could have their own zip code. There has been a fort in my living room for days. My daughter has pirated all my best Fall decorations to decorate said fort. The baby is wrapped around my leg eating something she may have found on the floor. I’m searching for something under the couch when it hits me, “Where do I start?”
I see her staring at me with her hands on her hips. She judges me. She makes me feel less than. She reminds me that I will never measure up. She sighs a lot, pushing me to keep going when I have nothing left to give. Her name, is vaguely familiar. Her house? Well, let’s just say she has it all together. If my baby ate off her floor…it’d be ok. Today, I just can’t seem to get her out of my kitchen or my heart.
I close my eyes and finally ask for help. “Jesus, come today. Come here today. In my mess. To my kitchen, but first to my heart. I am in need of your grace.” It is funny how, as soon as I call for Hope, He comes running. He brings His Word to wrap around my heart…
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
When I open my eyes, the dishes are still close to a national disaster. Nothing has really changed in a physical sense. I get up, and the tears start to flow a bit. He leans in close and whispers it again, surely I will help you. Surely.
And He does.
Are you weary, friend? Do you feel you don’t measure up? Do you know HER? Does she seem to point her finger at you, as well? Nothing keeps us weary like the illusion that everyone else has it all together. I’m pretty sure, they don’t. But in that moment, when SHE shows up, I know I am easily convinced. What if, in that moment, instead of listening to HER, we cried out to Him? He who is waiting to strengthen us, and not judge. He is Hope. And surely, He will come running.
Hope for the Weary Mom is a partnership between MODSquad Moms and The M.O.B. Society (mother of boys). All of us together, are moms in need of hope. Would you share this series with another mom who needs a little encouragement, too? Next week, my friend Brooke will be continuing the journey over there. I hope you’ll stop by. I’ll be there about 8ish with my coffee cup in hand!
25 Comments
AMEN! It is amazing how when we weaken and humble ourselves and just ask, he answers. What a faithful God! Felt a bit of that panic overwhelm this morning, until I read this. Thank you!
Lauren recently posted..12 Days of Homemade Christmas – Stenciled Photo Frame
So thankful that He sent you here Lauren! I’m with you…I believe that when we call, He will come. Every time.
Brooke McGlothlin recently posted..Hope for the Weary Mom
I can’t begin to tell you how important this was for me to read today! Wonderful and needed! Thank you!
Jen Butterfield recently posted..Oh!!! Thank You!!!
Thanks Jen. Whether you’re feeling weary right now or not, we all have seasons. Stacey and I are hoping to be able to give you some “truth tools” to help get you through them.
Hey Stacey ! That might be a good tag line for this series! Hope for the Weary Mom: Truth Tools to Get You Through
or something like that
Brooke McGlothlin recently posted..Hope for the Weary Mom
I think it’s a little like choosing to believe the truth of God’s Word (and what it says about us, and about Him) over our feelings or experiences. There comes a point when we just have to choose to believe Him over what we can see in front of us. That’s when things start to change
LOVE YOU!
I am definitely encouraged by this post. Our propensity to compare is downright awful. Thanks for calling us into account and focusing our attention on the One whose opinion matters most!
A great idea, as usual! Well done MOD and MOB!
Lisa recently posted..The Grey of Grace
Thanks for being here friend! I hope you have an amazing Saturday!
I agree Lisa…I think we all default to comparisons because we think we’re doing it wrong. Sometimes we just have to choose God’s Word over what we think is true. So glad you’re here friend!
Brooke McGlothlin recently posted..Hope for the Weary Mom
Sometimes “HER” is just “ME” talking nonsense to myself. Thanks for pointing out that my negative talk does me no good.
P.S. I just cleaned up a huge pile of dishes left over from last night.
Shelly W. recently posted..Thanksgiving Challenge – Day 4
Oh, did I mention, Her is me….:) Yep, she looks just like me, but my phantom mom! Love you Shelly!
So true. So many times the judgments we think we hear from others, are really coming from us. Thanks for being here Shelly!
Brooke McGlothlin recently posted..Hope for the Weary Mom
Stacey, this brought tears to my eyes. When I read the title, I thought, “When you don’t measure up. Which is always.” The beauty of our falling short is the loveliness of the rescue — His grace. Just love this. Moms of all kinds, ages, stages are weary for so many reasons…but His love is right there, “wrapped in His Word.” Thank you!
Laura recently posted..Everyday Epiphanies: Friday’s Fave Five
Hey MOB mama! So good to have you here!
That’s the real truth of it, isn’t it? We really DON’T measure up. We can’t be perfect moms. If we could, we wouldn’t need Jesus. Such wisdom in your words Laura. Thank you.
Brooke McGlothlin recently posted..Hope for the Weary Mom
What a beautiful and encouraging post, full of grace! Thank you for sharing your heart!
Joy @ Artful Homemaking recently posted..Our Thankful Tree
As I type this I giggle abit. My dishes too, have their own zipcode
But yes, oh yes- do I know that feeling. I spent too many unfortunate hours in my life wrestling in comparisons. And what for? I will be enjoying this series! {And my coffee is always ready in hand}
Rachel recently posted..Relevant 2011
Such a timely series …
SHE is definitely visiting as I look around the house and just feel overwhelmed. I *know* I used to take better care of our home …. …. it seems to get harder and harder to keep up like I used to. And boy am I hard on myself about it!
I’ll definitely be reading this series!
This post really touched me today. I am that weary mom. Four children (although two are self-sufficient), working full time, heavy ministry commitments. I have four loads of laundry to fold and I just don’t have the strength. I haven’t dusted in ages, nor vacuumed. I don’t often ask for His help, although I know He is the only one who can calm the storm surrounding my mass chaos. Thank you for this reminder today my friend!
Barbie recently posted..Courageous Review and Giveaway!
Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!! for this post. I am a mom of two glorious children and wife to one great husband, but always feel like I don’t measure up to the other moms who’s children looks so nicely dressed while mine have been playing in the dirt and I haven’t got quite all the dirt off of them. I think she’s skinnier, has a nicer vehicle, home, yada, yada, yada. But this post encouraged me to remember that I am not them, I am a child of God and He made me certain way, and that way is perfect in His eyes. Thank you so much for that reminder! I can’t wait till next week!
Harmony recently posted..Proverbs 31 Woman Was Onto Something..
Just rejoicing to have the mom of daughters blog to read a well as the one for moms of boys. I have 4 grown daughters now. All married. All making homes of their own. And the “her” in my life would be my girls! But really I agree with the ones who said its me listening to myself. A great encourager said to stop LISTENING to yourself and start TALKING to youself! And when I talk to myself I try to quote scripture then I know it is true, honorable, right . . . . Thanks for this blog!!!!
Oh this is me!! I have that same “her” that seems to attack me when I least expect it. I have been working on “her” for a while now. I realized months ago that I cannot do everything as perfectly and as well as some of those around me that seem to have it “all together”. One reason, by stressing and trying to get it all done, I realized when my youngest daughter graduated in June, that I couldn’t believe that day was here. Which made me realize that I have the boys and they will be grown before I know it. Do I want to enjoy their lives or do I want to spend time cleaning and doing & trying to be “supermom”? I can’t get back time with my girls, but I can make new memories with the time I do have with them and our boys!
I don’t want to waste another minute. I def need to get more organized with our schedules and do everything possible to make the most of the time we have together. Even if its doing “nothing”!!
Another reason is as I have become more “real” with sisters in Christ, I have found that many don’t have it as together as it may seem. One, that I sort of put on a pedestal in my mind, has emotional struggles, family & financial issues. When she became “real” to me, I saw that she needed prayer and a special touch from the Lord. Most of the time we see the mask that is purposely put on, not the true heart of a woman that is in need.
Piper recently posted..Give Thanks Day 6
You wrote the words that flow steadily through my own heart, my own mind and soul… That woman who stands in your kitchen also stands in mine…critical, condemning…
*sigh*
I’m coming in a little late on the series…but I want to say thank you. Thank you for writing how I feel almost everyday. I always thought could hold it all together….but lately I have sat in tears and cried about these very things. I’m weary. I’m always so critical of myself because I feel others are as well. I’m always thinking I dont do enough homeschool, my floors werent mopped, need to scrub the bathroom again(someone missed the toilet), the baby doesnt nurse often enough, etc, etc. I just was telling my husband Saturday(through bleary, tear-stained eyes) that I cant keep up anymore. Thank you for you gentle words of encouragement. My heart needed these today.
You just described my day today. Except my baby is 2 and she is a busy toddler. So yes, we know! We feel it too. Let’s walk and encourage each other! So glad you are here.
You just described my day today. I think it’s a little like choosing to believe the truth of God’s Word (and what it says about us, and about Him) over our feelings or experiences.
Thank you!! This post really touched me today. Which is always.” The beauty of our falling short is the loveliness of the rescue — His grace. Thanks for calling us into account and focusing our attention on the One whose opinion matters most!
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[...] starts today! Head over to the MOD Squad blog to read Stacey’s first post. Then next Saturday, come join me at the MOB Society with a cuppa [...]
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