How do you gauge whether you are having a good day or a bad day of parenting?
Is it in the number of tantrums your child has?
How tired you feel at the end of the day?
Or the number of smiles and laughs…
Or sweet memories made that you never want to forget?
I recently came to the conclusion that I was looking at my motherhood through the lens of good day vs. bad day and I was either succeeding and winning at motherhood, or I was failing.
I know this is harsh.
We can be too harsh on ourselves sometimes.
My generation has become very quick to find and provide information for any and all problems we face. Parenting is a major area that has A LOT of resources that are readily at our disposal.
Have a spirited child? There is a book for that (This is the one I am currently reading if anyone is interested)
Have trouble disciplining? There is also a book for that! (Loving this one right now)
There are podcasts, support groups, church… you name it.
When I think back to how I was raised and what my own mother modeled for me, she didn’t have a bunch of books or podcasts, she had Jesus.
If she was overwhelmed, she went to Jesus.
If her plans changed unexpectedly, she would tell us, “Well, the Lord already knew this would happen and it is happening for a reason, so we will make a plan B!”
When she felt like she didn’t know what she was doing, she cried out the the Lord.
I realized this week that I am very human, and I fall short of my own expectations regularly, but my own mother modeled for me what it looks like to lean in to that, to lean on the Lord and His mercy and grace instead of trying to do it all on my own.
The true goodness of my motherhood has nothing to do with how many books I read, how many podcasts I listen to or how well my child behaves.
How good of a mother I am actually has nothing to do with me.
The TRUE goodness lies in the fact that I have been saved from my human brokenness by a perfect God who not only loves me, but also loves my son more than I ever could. That is a heavy thought for me to try and comprehend. He saved me, so that I can bring Him glory… and what does that look like? Raising my child in a home that runs to the Lord no matter the circumstance. A regular routine of praying out loud and seeking God’s guidance in the good times and bad. Admitting to my child that I am not perfect, but we serve a God who is.
These are the truths that I have been pondering lately.
At the end of the day, I find peace in knowing that no matter how many tantrums my son has, (or how many kids he pushes… gosh this stage is hard!!) I don’t have to bear the full weight of parenting. The Lord has provided everything I need if I am only willing to lean in and receive it.
Coast x Coast Motherhood 