Our family goes to the Saturday night service at our church and getting their last night was so hard on me! All day yesterday, I was grumpy and irritable and so were my kids.
The girls kept bickering, the baby whined incessantly from the moment he woke up, and King Charming had to work, so getting all of us grumpy people dressed and out the door and to church on time was all my job. I didn't do that job well I'm ashamed to admit. I nagged and yelled and acted like I was the kid.
The girls kept bickering, the baby whined incessantly from the moment he woke up, and King Charming had to work, so getting all of us grumpy people dressed and out the door and to church on time was all my job. I didn't do that job well I'm ashamed to admit. I nagged and yelled and acted like I was the kid.
Then on the way to church the Mommy guilt rolled in, and I apologized to my kids for the way I behaved.
Oldest Princess was so kind and said, "That's OK, Mommy, you ALWAYS do that. We're used to it."
Ouch! That did not help the Mommy guilt one little bit. Usually, that leads to great discouragement, but I found out last night that I'm learning to respond differently. This time I just stopped and prayed the prayer that is becoming all too familiar, "Lord, please cover where I fail."
Cover where I fail- How thankful I am that I can pray that. When I can't live up to the ideal mom that I long to be and worry that I'm failing and ruining my children, I can let go, look up, and say, "Help!" And my kids are somehow surviving being raised by me! Ha Ha.
I would not want to do this job without Him! Thank you Jesus for covering where I fail. When I fail....even when it is so often.
You can stop by Seek the Lord Sunday to read what other bloggers learned this week.
Love,
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6 comments:
Oh, sweet Becky. You're a much better mom than you give yourself credit for :) KAA's comment cracked me up!
I'm with you though- thank the Lord that he's there for our kids where we fail! Parenthood is nothing if it's not a daily reminder of how small, weak, and insufficient I am by myself. I like to tell myself that my humanity is a good lesson for my kids - humility and dependence on the one who IS sufficient. I hope they get the message.
Thanks for linking up this week. Love you!
I hope when you prayed, it was in front of the girls. They need to know you aren't always perfect, so that when they grow up they won't have to be either. Love, Mom
Me again. Karissa's comment reminds me of you. You said it was OK, Mommy, but you aren't going to walk me into school are you? (kindergarden).
Sigh. Been there, done that, should print out t-shirts and start my own etsy shop or somethin'. :) My girls and I end up having to stop SOOOOO many days and pray because I end up being the one acting like a kid...letting their sins work me up to the point where I sin. I am so glad He is strong where I am weak, that He can cover where I fail. (Somedays, that is a whole lotta covering!!!!) :) I am so glad that I am being conformed into the image of Christ...even if I can't always see it myself. :)
Thanks for being real. It helps the other not so perfect mommas (like me) know they aren't alone.
Holding onto Him for dear life,
K :)
(oh, and you go for it, you muscle confuser you! I am impressed!) :)
Oh, my! Kids are just so honest!
This post reminds me of Julie Barnhill's book, "Motherhood, the Guilt That Keeps On Giving." :)
I heard someone say before that if we were perfect and could do everything for our kids we would eliminate their need for a Savior. This made me think! I'll never be the perfect mom, but HE will always be a perfect God.
I'm soooo with you, Becky, I pray a similar prayer often also. I mess up and have that "mommy guilt" (and often wife guilt too)swoop in. It is a good thing that we recognize our faults and say a prayer right there instead of just thinking that it's okay.
Thanks for the very real post. I appreciate knowing I'm not alone.
After 33 years I am still praying that prayer. It never ends. I'm always asking my kids to forgive me for things I might have said or done when they were little. I just wish that I had known the Lord when they were so little. I would have had so much better advice than I did. I am so grateful for the counsel I have now with Charlie. But then, even with him, I still pray the prayer constantly. Won't it be wonderful when we are all together with the Lord and will have the perfect relationships?
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