To the Discouraged Mama

You go to bed and tell yourself, "tomorrow is going to be a great day". Then you wake up and within 5 mins your toddler is acting like the world might end because she doesn't want to wear anything in her closet. Forget the fact it's 6 am and you don't even NEED to get dressed right now. In her world, it's very important and she needs just the right outfit to start the day. And it can't have buttons or itchy tags and if it doesn't have enough twirl then it might as well get thrown away right this second. I fight the urge to tell her to stop being ridiculous and try to remember how important this is in her world. And if it's important to her, I want it to be important to me. And I want to have patience. So I help her find something suitable while attempting to rehang the 50 things she vetoed and make a mental note to get rid of half her clothes. Less options are just better for us girls, ya know?! 

Then we head downstairs. But I take one step too fast and she thinks I'm going to move ahead of her and once again the drama threatens my patience and I think "we've been awake 10 mins and I've already failed at having a great day".

Wrong. 

A great day isn't defined by the lack of drama. If it was, I could kiss great days away for the next 18 years. I have two girls. Drama is inevitable. A great day isn't when everything goes right, either. A great day is choosing joy, even when everything doesn't go right. 

"Disruptions to your routine highlight your dependence on Me." -Jesus Calling

These years with young kids are hard. We aren't just fighting our own battles, we're fighting for our kids as well. We are fighting for joy for our whole family. We are learning patience, oh so much patience. We are learning what it means to depend on God is ways we never thought we would need to. But what a blessing that is. What a privelege. 

I'll end with this. God promised Abraham that his family would be as numerous as all the stars in the sky. In the midst of an impossible situation, God was faithful in His promises. 

Stars in the Sky by Mia