*Written by Katie Ledbetter
When my youngest was born my oldest was a few weeks shy of 8 years old. That’s not significant in any way unless you factor the other four children in between. That’s right they were 7, 6, 5, 3, 1, and newborn. I had two I was homeschooling and I was also my husband’s secretary at the time. He was in his seventh year of pastoring the church and he was almost 29 years old. You can do the math on the one. Life was hectic.
I didn’t the have the luxury of family living close by or going to church with us. I did have some amazing church family that did step in but all in all I was raising my babies and doing life alone most of the time. I don’t mean my husband wasn’t around or was unhelpful. It just wasn’t his role to nurse a newborn while changing an 18 month old, wrangling a 3 year old who loved to write on walls, watching ever new trick my 5 year old wanted me to watch, while doing Phonics with my first and second graders and encouraging them to become self-sufficient while discouraging then from mothering my babies. Did I mention we homeschooled at the church? This meant daily cleaning the church, going to the gym to try to condition my stretched out, worn out body, returning home to make supper, clean my house, keep up laundry, bathe children, remember if I had taken a shower this week, and somehow keep a great relationship with my husband.
This makes me laugh to read because honestly it never felt like a lot at the time, but now, I have no idea outside of the grace of God how I functioned. I was 100 miles an hour all day every day. And, I loved it!!! Yes, I had my times when I looked at my husband and said, “If you don’t get me a hotel room alone for a night I’m gonna fall apart!” He thankfully did and that’s probably why I’m still kicking, but mostly I’m only here as a testament that God will give you the grace, strength, and joy to serve Him by serving your family. He will give you what you need when you need it. You’ll look back, like I am now, in awe of Him!!!
Momma, these hard days where you fall in bed at 2 am just because you wanted to take a bath alone or finish the laundry won’t last forever. The baby stage changes to toddler and toddler to school age before you turn around. Soon you’ll look and your first child to get married will be walking down the aisle. Then they give you grandchildren and you see them in the overwhelming chaos that is the life they are now creating and you’ll know how to help in ways that come so easy and yet leave you so worn out you’ll look at your own daughter with new admiration. You’ll look back on your own life and simply praise The Lord for His goodness.
So, when the days come and you think you can’t handle one more thing, stop all you’re doing and load up those babies and go to the park. Go to McDonald’s if it’s raining and get ice cream. If you can’t afford that or don’t have a car, make a tent in the living room or have a picnic in the yard. While you’re stopping the chaos to enjoy your life remember this life is so short and today is the day God gave you!! Yes, it’s overwhelming and yes, it’s exasperating at times, but it’s also worth celebrating.
Everyone gets overwhelmed and there are times we just have to accept that what really matters is not a clean house or a perfect homeschool day. It’s not making sure the children are picture ready or the business we’ve created is caught up. It’s simply being thankful we’ve been blessed with this life at all. Don’t forget in the overwhelming exasperation to simply tell God, “Thank you, Lord!!! You’ve been good to me!”
Psalm 127:1-5 KJV
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. [2] It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. [3] Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. [4] As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. [5] Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Lamentations 3:21-24 KJV
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. [22] It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. [24] The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
