How I learned to thrive.

 

We all get these pictures of what thriving looks like to them. At least I have. 

To me thriving was the perfect mom. Thriving was a all hands-on mom, a fun good mom. A mom who spent her entire day teaching her children through adventures. Spending her days enjoying their laughter and curious minds. A mom who kept her home clean all the time and  while managing and entertaining young children.  The thriving mom who occupied my mind was familiar perfume, gentle, never angry. She was nearly perfect. She was the mom I was going to be. 

Truth is sometimes I am that mom. The hands-on mom. I do spend my days enjoying their sweet laughter and hearing their little feet running around my hardwood floor. I sometimes do have a clean home and I do try to look nice most of the time however, that's not always the case.And I'm okay with that now. Because I'm learning it's not Me that makes me a thriving mom. It's Jesus who makes me a thriving mom.

 Last week was a hard week. My little Liya is teething once again. She's waking up 4 to 5 times at night and needs  some extra attention. She doesn't seem to teethe just one tooth however when she teethes she usually teethes 2 to 4 teeth at a time which is completely bittersweet. My husband Leon has switched once again to the shift I hate. Night shift. It's a horrible shift that makes me a single parent. And this week my feisty Evelynne has tested every boundary and the day came when I finally cracked. I lost it with my house, I lost it with my children and I lost it with myself. I was a mess and so ready for the day to be done. 

I doubted myself as a mom. I wondered how in the world could I encourage moms to thrive when I'm having trouble thriving myself? How could I lead moms out of survival mode when I can't seem to find my way out of the desert some days?  And in those doubts and fears I heard a still, lullaby voice overpowering them all whispering "Thriving isn't about keeping it together all the time. It's not about being perfect. It's about knowing you don't have it all put together and placing your trust in a Mighty Father who does". 

That's what thriving is. It's about letting go of that perfect mom image that we cannot be on our own and choosing a loving Father and His grace that makes us more than enough. It's about letting go of our need to be perfect on our own and receiving Jesus' perfection that He died on the cross to give us. It's about choosing joy with what the day brings and not getting frustrated when it doesn't work out that way. She seeks God's kingdom and everything else is added on to her. 

I've learned over the last few weeks that what I do or have not done doesn't define me. It doesn't make me a thrive mom. However, when I put my trust in Jesus and let who He is define me everything just falls into place and I have overwhelming joy. And the desire to not give up. The passion for wifehood and motherhood and the love and enjoyment of it all just comes with it. 

 

BIG NEWS! 

I now have a youtube account!

If you're wanting some more encouragement throughout your week I'll be posting a new week every Friday. I'm so so excited!