Monday, September 14, 2015

Monday Morning Messy

I'm not really sure why I am blogging today.

All I know is that it is Monday and I'm feeling messy...

My weekend was filled with fun – play dates, babysitting for a friend, baseball games, and good connections with my people...

But I feel like I got caught up in a riptide of activity and this morning my soul feels malnourished...

My family is doing well, but as a mother we can always tell when there are needs to be met and it hurts to see anyone in our family struggling...

We are encouraged as Christians to come to the feet of Jesus and lay down all of our burdens and to trust in him to take care of the things that we just cannot take care of right now...

Sometimes as a working mother, I don't feel ready to start my workday on Monday. I feel like there are a lot of loose ends that I would like to see tied. Some things I need to attend to and other things I need to let go of.

My brain is filled with thoughts such as this – "Why is my three-year-old acting up so much? Is it because I'm not giving him enough attention?, My husband seems really tired and a bit distant, what can I do to draw closer to him?, I have reports to write today but I am having such a hard time concentrating... I need to be more productive, we need to get groceries, I think my dog might have fleas again, I need a haircut, I'm nervous about teaching Bible study tomorrow night,…"

My take charge personality wants to make a list of each and every one of those things and create a plan of attack. God has wired me this way, and most of the time, it is a good thing.

But on a Monday morning, as a working mother, I cannot physically, emotionally, and spiritually attack and handle all of these things.

It's not my job, I need to ask God to show me what to do in this moment. Sometimes that is really frustrating for me. I want to fix things, I want things run smoothly, I want everyone to be happy...

Sometimes I feel like I'm walking around the mountain and circling the same issues over and over again and this seems to happen to me a lot on  Monday mornings.

So there really is no major point to this blog post other than that, it's Monday morning, I know I'm not the only mom out there circling this mountain.  

Would love to connect with some other moms today.
Leave a comment below and a word of encouragement.
I know I can use one and I'm sure there are other mothers out there who could as well!
Lots of love.

Liz

4 comments:

  1. I hear you! I work very part-time now, but I also juggle the life of being married to a pastor (who just went back to school to get his doctorate) and raising three kids under the age of 11. So I get your post. Today, my mountain was the filth that is my house. We had a wedding weekend (i.e., my husband was doing a wedding so he was gone most of the weekend), and we had a women's ministry event at the church we serve which monopolized my Saturday. So I have three baskets of laundry to fold and put away, no groceries in the refrigerator, and my kitchen looks like someone set off a bomb. Today, is my writing day, though, and I try to keep it sacred. But I knew I couldn't concentrate if I didn't take care of some of this mess. So I set my kitchen timer for 30 minutes, turned the praise music up loud, and worked like a crazy woman until it went off with the commitment than when it went off, I was done. I accomplished a lot and feel like I can breath now! I'm learning that I have to set boundaries with myself or my best "Yes"es get put on the back burner. Thanks for the post!

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  2. Jennifer,

    Thank you for commenting. You sound like you completely understand where I'm coming from this morning! I love how you have determined that your day is set apart for a certain activity that you know is important – your writing. And I also love how you are able to take your concern with your house and put a little bit of time towards it and then let the rest go. I decided to use my lunch break to go to groceries. I was going to focus on my Bible study for tomorrow night, but then I remembered that I had already prepared for it, prayed about it, have my notes and my discussion questions and I don't need to overdo it. I felt better after having the groceries put up and a few meals planned. I'm also reminding myself that I am really tired because I did not give myself a chance to rest. So tonight, my husband and I plan on taking the boys out for ice cream because they were really good. Yesterday after a very long day of doubleheader baseball games for my oldest. And then after that we are all going to bed early. Thanks for commenting and connecting!

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  3. Not sure why I didn't get the email notification until this morning (Tues.), but I was right with you yesterday! I had to laugh when I read your list of rambling thoughts...I had many of the same thoughts running through my head! I have finally scheduled haircuts for my 5-year-old son and me this weekend (his hair almost makes him look like a girl it's gotten so shaggy, and I haven't had a haircut since February), but I have to bring my 9-month-old too, and I'm not sure if both kiddos will last long enough for me to get my hair cut too ;) Already worrying about that, ha!

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  4. I was at MomCon in Indianapolis this weekend and attended a session by Sissy Goff about raising girls. She told us that in her role as a counselor, she notices that most moms she works with need to hear two things: that they're normal and that they're doing a good job. So if you haven't heard it in a while, let me be your virtual BFF and tell you myself--you're completely normal and you're doing a great job.

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