Sufficiency

I was lying in bed this morning for a few minutes before Evelynn woke up, enjoying the quiet, enjoying the fact that I've been getting a normal amount of sleep (coupled with a normal sleep schedule - waking up maybe once to make a bathroom run or get a drink of water instead of waking up several times). It's been amazing.

And I was thinking about what kind of advice I would give to someone who was entering motherhood. What would I tell about it? What part would I highlight? No one told me how hard it would be, so I thought that I would have to say that. But as I was thinking about that and how exhausted I've been and how my body has been drained of it's nutrients and things, something else occurred to me.

I cannot drain God. I cannot use Him up. Children can actually, literally use us up. We can be spent for their sake, physically, mentally, and emotionally. But as a child of God, I cannot use Him up. I can never take too much from Him; I can never exhaust Him. He will never snap at me. He will never make the wrong choice because He was too exhausted to think. He will never ignore me because He just can't deal with one more thing today.

There are already a lot of mistakes that I've made with Evelynn. Add another kid or two (or three or four, depending on what God gives to us) into the mix and I am beyond sure that I will be making several mistakes every day.

But it will never be too many. God is sufficient. He will never run out of love, mercy, grace, favor, loving-kindness, or joy. It will ALWAYS be there for the asking - even if I asked for and received some five seconds ago. It's overflowing from Him. I just have to go to Him for it.

Another thing I would tell a to-be mom - it's so worth it. It's beyond worth it. Children are so awesome, that despite all the havoc they make, despite all the exhaustion, despite all the hardships and pains and sorrows, they're a blessing. They're not just "worth it" - they're a blessing! Children are like Romans 8:18 here on Earth - "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." All the sufferings of the present time can't even be compared with the joy and the glory that is bound up in your kids.

Nutrition

If my last post sounded rather down, I think it should be noted that I was "off my meds." That is, I keep forgetting to take my vitamins and then I get exhausted and then I have a really hard time being my normal, happy self. I've been taking them again for the better part of the week and my outlook has improved dramatically. So, if you're talking to me and I sound rather "blah" for seemingly no good reason, please feel free to ask if I've been taking my vitamins regularly. (If I haven't, chances are I'll be like, 'Doh! I keep forgetting!') This is, I think, the third time it's happened that I've gotten out of the habit of taking them for one reason or another and thus gotten very exhausted as a result.

In other news, my mother-in-law found this website about getting pain relief without going to the doctor. It helped her. It has tons of stuff, and I think it might be worth checking out. It even has migraine-relief techniques.

http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/

So it's here for you to look up if you have joint pain, or a headache, or wake up with an injured back.

No One Told Me

I've been thinking about being a Mom a lot, about the things of which my life is composed, about the things I miss, and the feeling that I will never again have a minute or a day that doesn't have a schedule. (I like schedules. I really don't like being tied to one ALL THE TIME.)

And something keeps popping into my head. It goes something like this, "People told me about the pain of childbirth. People told me about the troubles of sleeping when you have a newborn. Why didn't anyone tell me that it doesn't get better?" No one told me about how absolutely, ridiculously difficult it is to have a kid. (Just the one! And as I understand it, she's fairly easy. (Yes, I really want a boy, but wow does it scare me.))

No one told me that every day becomes a battle and for those of us prone to depression, it's very easy to not have any fun at all and you realize it's been a week since you've genuinely felt happy for more than the ten seconds after someone told a joke. No one told me that I wouldn't want to sing anymore, that my basic disposition would change from being happy and energetic to being sad or blah. There are a lot of things that no one ever mentioned, not even in a generalized way.

Well, something occurred to me today. Maybe they didn't tell me because that's not the part that they care about anymore, not the part that lasts. Maybe that part gets overshadowed by the good stuff, by the joys of watching the little ones grow up and being a part of their lives. Maybe, in the end, it fades, just like the pain of childbirth and the exhaustion of sleep deprivation.

And that is a hopeful thought.

Overwhelming Love

I couldn't sleep last night, so my thoughts turned to upcoming days and the things that were scheduled to get done within the next few weeks. That means more shots for Evelynn. I hate shots. I hate seeing my little girl in pain, and I don't think it's a bad thing that I hate it. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it's a tiny pain or a huge pain - I hate thinking of her being in pain.

And then my thoughts turned to God, to Jesus, to Calvary. God the Father bruised Jesus. It was not a chastisement. It was not to safeguard His well-being. It was to safeguard me; it was to redeem me. Jesus was not the only one who suffered that day. God the Father is not unfeeling or emotionless; He LOVES Jesus with a greater love than I could love Evelynn. But for the sake of His people, God smote Jesus. Jesus died for my sins; but God had to pour out His wrath on His beloved Son for my sins.

Jesus loves me, yes. Jesus took my sins. Jesus paid the cost.
The Father loves me, too. He sent Jesus to take my sins. He dealt the punishment out.

What wondrous love is this!