Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Find

We have had a sickly couple of days in the McWhorter home. Everyone in the family came down with the stomach bug. E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. It was actually quite humorous how it happened to all of us within 24hrs. Conn and I just laid in bed laughing...and, moaning. Thankfully, it didn't last long, and we are all on the mend.

I came across this post by Lysa TerKeurst over at Proverbs 31 Ministries. This could not have come at a more perfect time.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!


When mommy is mentally exhausted

I used to think it was stressful having small children. The bathing, changing, whining, crying, feeding and cleaning up little people’s messes all day would wear me to a frazzle sometimes. I naively would throw myself into bed and think, “when they are older this will be so much easier.”

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time and shake yourself? I would say slap yourself but let’s not get physically aggressive.

On second hand, yes let’s. It’s not that I would full out slap myself but some forceful taps on either side of my cheek would have been in order.

For as your children grow, a transition happens. You trade physical exhaustion for mental exhaustion. Now hear my heart, I’m not trying to pull an Eeyore today and get all down.

Y’all know I love my children with every fiber of my being. I thank God for the incredible honor of having people who call me mom. I dig investing and giving and shepherding these amazing future leaders. And I take it very seriously.

After all they will one day get the privilege of caring for me when I’m old. And, I am going to be a feisty old thing. Can anyone say payback! I laugh when I think about it. But that is a topic for another day.

Back to the shift to mental exhaustion. I am as confident as I can be that I have invested wisely in the nurturing of my children. I haven’t been perfect but then again none of us have. So, I’m not tired from wishing I would have done more. It’s something else.

As the leash of freedom extends with each passing year, I realize how their choices are their own. And I can’t build the security of my identity as a mom on the fragility of young people’s choices. I have to build the security of my identity as a mom on prayer.

So, intertwined in my situational prayers for them I have three fundamental prayers I always try to include:

1. God, make this child one of the most godly people of their generation.

2. God, let them get caught when they make wrong choices.

3. God, save them from the wrong friends and the wrong mate, so they may be saved for the right friends and the right mate.

And then I ask God for the courage to let Him write my kid’s testimonies.

Simple. Necessary. A bit scary sometimes. But so completely comforting. And one of the best remedies to help ease the mental exhaustion all of us mommies feel at times.

What do you pray over your children?

10 comments:

Rachel said...

I can't stop crying ... thank you Ashley for re-posting that. I needed it so bad :)

Tiffany said...

What a great post. Thanks for sharing it!

Kristyn said...

Thanks.....it was absolutely what I needed. I am going to copy that and re-post it if you don't mind. Just a great reminder of what we should be doing daily!

Lacey said...

I just read that on Kristyns blog. I love that post!!

Hope you and your sweet family are on the mend and E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. is feeling better. :)

Connie McWhorter said...

I loved the post. So sorry that you all have been sick. Stomach virus is the all-time worst sickness there is. Glad you are on the mend. Love you all, Nanny

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

That words was really great! Thanks for posting it.

Kathy Cubley said...

I still pray all of those things, but more for my grandchildren than for my own. Other prayers have eased into their place...Let them make wise adult decisions, let them be Godly examples in their own homes, keep them pure in their marriages, use them to show God's glory... the list is endless.
Sorry that you were all so sick but thanks for the post! I love you

Julie Marler (Mammy) said...

I'm so sorry that all those babies and their mama and daddy have been sick! But at least it wasn't the really big bad kind! Sorry you've missed your "time when the kids are all at school" time!
I think you know how many millions of times we've prayed for you and your brothers as you were growing up, and then we prayed for your mates, and now we pray for all those grandbabies! "Lord, grow them into spiritual giants for You.....but don't let them hurt too much!!"
Love you much!
Mammy

Jen McCrady said...

hey girl-thanks for commenting on my blog! your family looks precious!