Every Monday, a newsletter goes out to the moms in our church. In that weekly message, my goal is to just encourage them in their roles as moms to little ones (or big ones.) I thought I would share this week’s here, as well. If anyone would like to be included in that weekly email, just leave a comment with your email address and we will add you to the group. Or, if you don’t want to post it publicly, you can email it to me at servantslife (at) gmail (dot) com. 

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I made the kids some chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Then, we did a fun art project. We made cupcakes that afternoon. It had been a really good day. That evening, however, after everyone was in bed, all I could think about was how I had lost my cool during bath time.

Side note: if a mama is ever going to lose her cool with small children, it’s going to be during bath time. Maybe it’s because bedtime is almost in sight and you’re limping to cross the finish line of the day. (Does anyone else alter the quality of the bath based on what activities are scheduled the next day? Just me? Never mind, then.)

So, there I was lying in bed beating myself up over the minor blip in an otherwise wonderful day and wishing I could live by the WWMDD (what would Michelle Duggar do) line of thinking. The woman has nineteen kids, y’all, and she hasn’t been sent to the funny farm, yet. She must be doing something right.

What is it that makes mamas so hard on themselves? It’s because Satan wants people to believe that they really are whatever it is they fear they are and, for most of us, our fear is that we are bad moms. There is something inside of us that knows how important our role is and we are so afraid of messing it up. I saw on the news this week that a new study shows that babies who are swaddled may have hip problems later in life. Well, that’s just great. Forty years from now, my children will be telling some orthopedic specialist how their crazy mama swaddled them as infants and insisted it would help them sleep.

Give yourself grace. You are a greater mom than you think. You are doing a far better job than you believe. And you are making fewer mistakes than it seems.

The truth is, ladies, that we are all doing the very best we can. It does not matter how many children we have or what ages they might be – there is always new territory to travel through. Each day brings new challenges. Some days, it feels like we are walking blindfolded. We are feeling our way through and just hoping not to bump into too many things.

So, if you are feeling a little unsure or insecure about this thing called motherhood, it’s okay. God has a promise for you. Take this verse with you this week. When you feel like you have no idea what you are doing or where this path is going, let these words be a balm to your weary heart.

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do and I do not forsake them.” – Isaiah 42:16

When you feel lost, let him lead you. It’s what he does and he’s quite good at it.

Y’all are so very loved. Have a wonderful week.