When Life Presses

When life has pressed out of you all of the energy you had in reserve, you just have to sit down and let it be okay.

The blonde haired, blue eyed, two-year-old and her third tantrum in Target pushed all of the buttons I had this morning. You know that feeling. There I was, trying to be more flexible and saying to myself “She’s two…just let her be.” but she kept acting more like a sass-filled teenager than my sweet baby and I just couldn’t deal. I’m trying to hold it together and find one more ounce of patience but then realize…it’s just not there. So, the speed walking to the car commences before I absolutely lose my cool. Words are exchanged with the tiniest little voice, apologies are made, hugs are given, and it all finds resolution but not without a few tears shed…from both of us.

Time passed and I thought I had recovered. I thought we had finally recovered from the Target tantrum.

Then there was naptime. Oh, the dreaded (yet longed for) hour of the day! She proudly decides to undress herself entirely and sing every song she knows at the top of her lungs. She cries because she’s hot and she cries because she’s cold. She hugs me and pulls my hair in the same exchange. Finally, after a stern voice is all I can muster, she lays down and eventually goes to sleep. My momma heart is just plain tired and the self-ridicule is loud in my ears.

If we’re honest, we’ve all been there. No one is immune to the impatience that commonly occurs in parenthood. 

The truth is, life presses us. The pressure increases, the temperature rises, and we are squeezed until the last drop emerges. What is on the inside always finds its way out.

The hearts of parents are full of patience and love for the littlest of souls which is why God entrusts them into our care. However, momma hearts (and daddy hearts) require self-care, decent rest, alone time, and loads of grace in order to continue beating with the love and kindness we are intended. 

So, when life has squeezed and you don’t like what you see…sit down and let it be okay. Sit down instead of folding the laundry. Sit down instead of washing the dishes. Sit down instead of meal prepping. Turn on a song that soothes your soul, open up the only book that can breathe life into dead places, sit in silence with a heart desperate to hear from Him, call a trusted friend…give yourself permission to just BE, even if only for a few moments. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalms 37:7)

Let go of the mess, let go of the stress, let go of having to be your best. Accept the limitations of your humanity and embrace the being more than the doing.

YOU with a sound mind, body, and soul are of more value to your family and to the Kingdom of God than the YOU in tattered pieces with a crossed-off to do list. Lean into God by allowing yourself to experience His grace, His approval, His kindness, and His peace. Find the space to get low and thank Him for being more than enough when you are at your least.

Dying to ourselves and carrying our cross is a heavy task within the confines of a broken world, then add toddlers to the mix and it feels like a recipe of impossibility. We must be intentional to rest in the grace and gratitude of Jesus “so we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” when we take the time to rest in Him. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Dear friends, you cannot give what you do not have…so sit down and let that be more than okay. Soak up the goodness of God by resting in Him. Open His Word and find breath for your lungs, food for your soul, and strength for all of your weariness. Talk to Him with the honesty and sincerity of heart that He longs for; confide in Him where you are weak and let Him fill up the empty places with more of His grace.

Then, when the tiny (and somewhat crazy) people rise from their beds, you will have something to give because you have slowed down enough to receive.

© Dani Hardy, February 19, 2019

 *Dedicated to all of the mommas in the trenches of toddlerhood…I pray for you when I see you in Target! We are all in this beautiful mess together.

 

Reference:

“so we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) ESV, HOLY BIBLE

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