This past week we drove through three states and stayed at my sister’s house the night before her wedding. As my oldest was getting out of the hot tub, I commented, “Yep that’s where all my good looks went,” to which Cheyenne replied, “At least you still have a pretty face.” Ouch but it’s the truth, when we carry children, it ruins our bodies; at least that’s what our social media likes to tell us.
Another commented that tickled me to death was when my youngest daughter Tori saw her Aunt Becky in her dress. It was a huge struggle to get that girl to sit still. Who knew that sitting in the hot sun on hard metal seats in a dress full of tulle would cause my girl to be so restless! But as she caught sight of Becky walking down the aisle, Tori screamed above the music for all to hear, “LOOK MAMA! THERE’S A PRINCESS! SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU!”
It’s in moments like this that God refuels my energy with joy, like he says he will in one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:28-29.
Motherhood is exasperating and tough, some days it’s a struggle to keep my temper and voice tone calm when putting my child in her room for 18th offense in an hour. But, it moments like these, it reminds me just how sweet and unfiltered our children are. They say what they feel, comment on what they see (even if its my jiggly belly), and process life through their simple minds.
In my book, Mama Needs A Time Out, I talk about how children lead us back to God. When they begin to discover the world on their own, it refreshes our sense of wonder. It helps us to reclaim just how awesome our God is. Who knew that the same God who pours out sober judgement is the same God who paints each sunset, who tinted our children’s eyes with just the right hue of blue, and who created rainfall to be a moment to cut loose and dance in the rain. He spoke and the heavens existed. He breathed life into Adam and he knit our children together within our wombs. God was known as Elohim, meaning Creator, it’s our first glimpse of into just one facet of his character.
I honestly believe when I look into my children’s innocent eyes, I catch the depth of God’s pureness, joy and love for us. Even when they say the darnedest things, it brings me back to him; like he is whispering to me to “Lighten up and enjoy the moment. Rejoice, all is well,” and little mama, I think we all need to laugh once in a while and be reminded through the mouths of our sweetly obnoxious babes just how precious each day is.
And with that I leave you with my favorite MOM SONG that will leaving you on the floor laughing. Anita Renfroe’s mom song is just what you need to lighten up!
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
