Years ago I thought, with confidence and expectancy, When full time parenting is over, when all my kids are grown and on their own, then I’ll be so much more relaxed, have more time to myself, and will have a lot less stress.
Once again I totally missed on that assumption, just as I wrongly assumed life would be easier once the kids were past the diaper stage. And frankly, many other expectations I’ve had of life have been just as misplaced.
“Man is born for trouble” (Job 5:7) is not my favorite verse. Is it yours? Doubtful. “Happily ever” after is what I’ve always wanted and even tried to achieve in our little family in our little corner of the world. That too was destined for more pain and difficulty than I ever expected because God wanted me to know truth spoken by Jesus, “In this world you will have trouble.”
He knew a bubble of peace and paradise, if I were able to create it, would have left me without a need for a Savior and with no hope for heaven.
Today I’m no more eager to welcome trials and difficulties than I was twenty years ago, but I am wise enough to know there is always a purpose in feeling stressed. Miraculously, as only God can do, He takes all the ugly and broken of my life and weaves good, strong and beautiful threads into the mess to create worshipful wonder.
Bewildered and pressured describe the state of my soul this week. A little poem I read summarized well my state; its end a picture of a beautiful weaving.
Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length;
Pressed so intently it seems beyond strength.
Pressed in body and pressed in soul;
Pressed in the mind till the dark surges roll;
Pressure by foes, pressure by friends;
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.
Pressed into loving the staff and the rod;
Pressed into knowing no helper but God.
Annie Johnson Flint
Do you relate to feeling stressed? Have you too been surprised with how difficult life can be? Pressure can be good if I let it press me into Him. Even then I must remember, trusting God doesn’t change my circumstances. It changes me. And that is what it’s all about!
:( I’m so blah right now, so overwhelmed!! I’m a lil fed up with being a mom. It’s always been confusing how “children are a blessing from God” yet, I was in college and unwed when I had my son with his father that I had known for less than a year. We are now married and our son is four. My husband said he never thought we needed to sit down and talk about anything in our marriage, so that leaves me a lil frustrated and a lil angry that I am with this man who doesn’t know my need for security and who has made no effort to find out in 9 mos of marriage. I can’t help but wonder if i rushed into this or made the wrong choice in marrying him since he wasn’t saved while we dated. I feel like this is what I’m stuck dealing with because I didn’t have the guts to say No or to wait for God to help me abstain from sex and help me find the right spouse. I understand it takes some time for all of us after we’re saved to change for the better. I’m willing to be patient with that. I just don’t feel like I have anything I need from my husband. I have no reassurance that I’m going in the right direction…with the right person. Please help me wherever you can. Thanks.
Dear Princess, you are not the first wife and mom to wonder if she married the right man, by any means. Almost all of us feel that way at one time or another, but especially when we have little ones, and during the early years of marriage. Be encouraged. And, tell your husband what your needs are. Tell God what your needs are. Be in God’s Word every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. And, you might want to connect with a confidential ementor at http://www.familylife.com/mentoring. A mentor will connect with you right away. Blessings to you.
Hi Laurie. fun to see your name in the comments. hope you and your family are well.
Perfect timing.