Have you ever woke up and thought it would be nice to hide under the covers all day? Have you ever thought it would be nice for the KIDS to hide under the covers all day? Life, as a stay-at-home mom is not as easy as people think. Maybe some people think that all we do all day is watch TV and eat candy. Some people may think that we get up and put our pearl necklaces on while we clean. But then some days, life ends up mostly in a crazy house with us moms just trying to keep ahead of the messes.
However, I DO believe with just a bit of encouragement, a calming breath and lots of coffee; life can be calm and a great majority of the days you can have peace and calm.
But how? How do I with six kids keep my sanity? I’d like to say it’s because my house is always perfectly clean and my kids are well-fed but mostly my house is peaceful, I believe, because I take time each morning to spend with God and delve into His Word. If we can do this, it starts the tone for the day. I cherish my time in the mornings and after I’m done reading my Bible, I sometimes get to talk to our oldest son who lives in Japan and just getting ready for bed. The day just gets better and better.
Here are some verses to help you get going for the day.
“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
I love this verse. I’m thinking it is time to revisit Micah and read it again. A small but powerful book. Waiting on God isn’t always easy but He always hears us and WILL answer!
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” II Corinthians 4:7
Remember when the child drew all over the walls or unrolled all the toilet paper? Remember when the oldest one forgot to do their homework? The power of God is in us so it’s not US that needs to respond but through God’s Word we can take a deep breath and have a godly response to any situation that pops up. Our children seeing God’s power in us will only encourage them to go to The Word!
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 2:22-23
Aren’t you glad that God is compassionate towards us? When I think of all my failings and how many times a day I need His forgiveness, it gives me a better perspective on forgiving my kids. Do I still need to correct and constantly teach? Yes, of course! Do I need to show mercy and lead them gently to God’s compassion and forgiveness? Always.
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
What mark are we going for? In the long term – eternity in heaven and bringing our family with us. How about short term? The mark I’m going for now is to daily raise my children intentionally in His Word. This doesn’t always happen since I’m just a sinner saved by grace but I know I have that compassion and mercy from God we talked about earlier.
So whether today is going along smoothly as a calm summer day along the Mississippi or you have a storm brewing that is going to knock at every corner of your house – remember – God is your help and then you can conquer anything.
I have to include this song (life is about having a sense of humor) and as you listen to my husband play – think about your kids having ONE day of no messes. Smile 😋
