Whatever season or stage of parenting you’re in- if you are struggling to survive, here’s some encouragement for the mom who feels hopeless…
To the mom who is worn down, facing another sleepless night with her newborn babe.
To the mom who is questioning if she can handle it all—the feeding, the diaper changing, the endless caring of her child. To the mom who finds herself drowning in this new world of motherhood, wondering if she will survive.
To the mom who is frazzled while caring for her little one’s endless needs.
To the mom who faces every day with dread, exhausted and lonely. To the mom who secretly misses her old life, because she’s barely surviving this one. To the mom who resents these restless days of feeling captive in her home and sees no end in sight. To the mom who wonders when this season will end.
To the mom who can’t manage it all and feels like she’s failing.
To the mom who is anxious about getting everything done and can’t do it all. To the mom who constantly wonders if she is doing this parenting thing right. To the mom who crumbles under the pressure, bursting with tears and exhaustion. To the mom who can’t stop comparing herself to other moms and knows she falls short. To the mom who feels like a failure.
To the mom who feels rejected and detached from her rebellious kid.
To the mom who is desperate to connect with her growing teen, but feels the distance between them. To the mom who is angry that her kid doesn’t respect her rules and often betrays her trust. To the mom who is forced to let go and is terrified of her child’s independence. To the mom who is discouraged, praying her kid will start to make good choices.
To the mom who worries endlessly about her teen’s health.
To the mom who has tried everything to help her teen get well, but sees no healing, no hope, no end to the ongoing battle that always ends in despair. To the mom who prays relentlessly for change, does everything in her power to get help and is exhausted and terrified. To the mom who can’t find answers, can’t find treatment, can’t do anything to rescue her teen and she is utterly overwhelmed by the weight of it all.
To the mom who has no control over her older kid and fears the worst.
To the mom who must accept the reality that she has done all she could. To the mom who sits in silence and prays for her child’s safety. To the mom who can’t handle the truth, can’t handle the lies. To the mom who has no answers, no solutions, no idea what else she can do. To the mom who constantly wonders what she did wrong. To the mom who must let go.
Wherever you are, in whatever stage of parenting and whatever circumstance you find yourself in…
I want to cup your face in my hands, look into your tearful eyes, and tell you this:
You are so strong.
You have been called to this hard place.
You are a mom forever and this part of parenting needs you most.
Your mission is not done.
When God chose you to raise your child, He believed in you.
You were picked for this specific job with this specific child for a specific purpose.
You can’t quit this assignment.
He designed you for this.
He equipped you to persevere.
He trusts you will endure.
And with every step you take through this season of motherhood, He will grace you with the strength to carry on.
Trust Him.
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The original post was first published over at Her View From Home.
Janine Huldie says
Absolutely beautiful message and thank you for your words of wisdom here for all of us moms. Hugs and hope you are having a great weekend so far 😉
Kelly L McKenzie says
What an inspiring message, Chris. There is such depth and understanding here. You’re lifting the spirits of all who pop by and I do thank you for that.
Kristi Campbell says
Aw your sweet heart, Chris! I love this. And you. What a beautiful reminder that we each were trusted to care for and love and raise the children in our lives.
Marie Kléber says
This is exactly the words I need from time to time when I feel like giving up – not for long thought, but still when it’s messy and I feel powerless.
Thank you Chris. Thank you for all the moms out there finding solace in your words.
lisa thomson says
This is such an important message, Chris. Goes to show how much we learn through our motherhood experience. It’s not easy and no one said it would be. Great advice and encouragement. thanks for your words! xx
Tamara says
So beautiful. I was thinking today how not many talk about this strange point of parenting I’m in now. They talk about newborns and toddlers and tweens and teens, but with Scarlet as a not quite teen, and Des in first grade, sometimes they seem so old to me and sometimes so young. And sometimes I seem so old to me, and sometimes so young. I’m not a young parent anymore but not middle-aged either. It’s a weird and sometimes hopeless, but mostly not time.