Are You Overwhelmed?

Listen…

Becoming a mother is such a beautiful, miraculous experience. No matter what your journey to motherhood looks like, raising a child is an incredible blessing. After losing two babies before having my son and one baby after, I will forever count it a privilege and honor to raise him. It was truly my heart’s desire to be a mother. Although I am grateful beyond words to be serving in this position, that does not mean that I have not had trouble accepting my role as a mother and I know that many other moms can relate to that. Children require a lot from us. More than we believe we can give at times. But the game changer for me was relying on God and not myself to carry me through this journey.

I gave birth to my son at twenty-six weeks. He was born weighing less than two pounds. When I pleaded with God for the chance to be a mother, this is not exactly what I had in mind. I had not planned on having to trust complete strangers with my son for four months, I had not planned on seeing my sweet miracle on life support or doctors preparing me for his passing. But we do not get to choose how God works in our lives. What we must remember is that God will not call us to something that He has not equipped us for. I never thought that I would be able to handle even a portion of the things I have faced with my son over the past 4 years. I have felt defeated, incapable, confused and my faith has been tested but Romans 8:37 tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. What that scripture tells me is that despite what you are feeling or thinking, walk with God and you’ve got this! God had this story written for me far before I was even thought of, and because of that, I can stand in peace knowing that He has us covered.

Once we made it through the extended hospital stays and unpredictable medical complication and my son began to grow older, my concerns with whether I was doing things right started to increase. Proverbs 22:6 says Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. But if I can be honest, that did not come easy for me. What if I was not training him the right way? As moms I do not think we ever have the answer to that. I do not think that we will ever feel that we are doing everything right, especially during those seasons of parenthood where the weight seems extra heavy. But what I do know is that the word of God is a wonderful place to start when we need direction. The Bible reminds us that as parents we do not only have a responsibility to our children, but God has assigned us to impart his values and truth into their lives. Allow God to guide you through this journey and seek His face for every decision that you must make as a mother. Make sure that the instruction we are giving to our children is coming from our Heavenly Father and not peer or societal pressure.

Christ does not require us to be perfect. Believe it or not, this applies to motherhood as well. We do not need to be perfect moms. We don’t have to know it all. What we need are reminders of Christ and his heart for us. I think about how Christ never leaves us nor forsakes, even when we are a lot to handle. I think about how he loves us unconditionally even when we make mistakes and just can’t seem to get it right. And when I think of those things, I am reminded that this is the way that I must love my child. I am called to reflect the heart of Christ, especially in my home. Mothering is not always easy. Motherhood will pull on us from every direction, it may cause us to feel things we have never felt before. But when those moments arise, reflect on the heart of Christ and his love for us.

Yes, my son requires a lot from me. We have gone through medical complexities, surgeries, therapies and so much more. However, I know that God saw something in me that He deemed good enough and capable enough to care for a child so precious. I often sit and reflect on Isaiah 41:10 where it says Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. That is more than enough to carry me day to day even when the load of motherhood seems too heavy to carry. God is with you, and He will help you. What a beautiful blessing that is!

Scriptures:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:37

 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Let’s reflect:

1)Is there someone in your life who requires a lot from you? Even if you are not a mother, there may still be several people in your life who may need more from you than you feel you are able to give

2) When you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by this responsibility, do you allow your flesh to cause you to respond negatively or do you seek God for an answer?

As you move on from this moment, allow The Father to give you guidance and clarity as you journey through life with those who may require a lot from you. May the word of the Lord penetrate your ears and heart daily so that you do not lose sight of who God is and what He can do in your situation.