When Mom Gets Weary

My devotion running over at Proverbs 31 today is called Getting Through Another One Of Those Days. 

Unfortunately, it seems I have been having a lot of "those days" recently, because living in a house filled with two teenage daughters and a pre-teen son means there is never a dull moment around here! In fact some times I find myself praying for dull moments, because I have had more opportunities to preach, teach, feel discouraged, tolerate teenage hormonal drama, and dole out punishments than seems fair for one mom. The happy days certainly outweigh the trying days, but nonetheless, those trying days can still be exhausting.

So when another one of "those days" hits, I can often find myself fighting off a severe case of maternal weariness, and maybe you can relate.

I used to think that sleepless nights with infants, daycare issues and nursing sick kids for months was the epitome of exhaustion.... but now I understand that the weight of emotional exhaustion far exceeds even the worst case of physical exhaustion. Being a parent can be down right tiring, and no matter how we treasure our little bundles of joy, we can still experience those days when we are ready to throw in the towel, or at least succumb to temporary defeat.

Whether we are struggling with toddler tantrums and diaper changes, or teenage social plans, peer pressures and busy schedules, being a mom can zap our energy physically and emotionally.

I have to be honest, there have been "those days", when I felt like just saying "yes' to every request that rolled off the lips of my children, merely because it would make life simpler.  If there were less "no's" and more "yes's", then everybody would be happy with mom all the time, and oh what a wonderful world it would be.... right?

Even though the thought of a magical paradise - where all off spring were perpetually happy and thought mom was the greatest thing since sliced bread - seems tempting at first, that is the worst place we could find ourselves in - and more importantly, our children would suffer in the long run.

When God made mothers, He had a plan. A plan to use moms to raise up every generation to love and honor their Creator. And I'm convinced that motherhood is the hardest job in the universe.

God did not just give mothers some little people who needed to be cared for, He gave them a job. A job that is in essence, a divine calling.  A calling to be the guardian of not only our children's lives, but also their hearts. A calling to raise them with values, character, integrity and boundaries, even when doing so makes us tired in more ways than one.

A calling to not only be a mother, but to be a Godly parent to the best of our ability.

Nobody will argue, that parenting can be tough, and it takes a tough heart to keep giving it your all, when your all is just about spent. It takes a lot of commitment to keep loving our children through those hard days, especially when they are not being lovable, and we are not feeling loved in return.

Yet taking a back seat in our children's lives in order to try to maintain peace and harmony in our households, is not at all what God has called us to do. His Word instructs us to seek His face and His strength, when we are feeling discouraged and weak.

We can never be perfect parents, but we can trust in the One who is. As long as we are giving it our best, and devoting our energies, or even our lack of energies, to raising healthy, happy kids in a way that would be pleasing to God, I believe with all my heart that God will one day honor that devotion and commitment.

SPECIAL FREEBIE!
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As mentioned in today's Proverbs 31 devotion, I am offering you the opportunity to listen to my one-hour interview with Tara McClanahan from MommyMissions.com, on the subject of Godly parenting.  If you are interested in tuning in or downloading the audio file, please click on the link below which will redirect you to the Mommy Missions website, where you can access your free download: 
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN PARENTING

If you would like to download the listening guide for this online session, it is also available on the site, and includes some practical tips for Godly parenting and links to additional posts to encourage you in your quest to be a Godly parent,
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So do you struggle with the challenge of Christian parenting? What helps you get through another one of "those days"? Share your insight with about how you persevere in your parenting challenges so that all of us moms can be encouraged! I would also be honored to pray for you in you are having "one of those days".

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