What Do You Do When You Can’t Do It All?

As the wife and mom in my house, I'm the peacekeeper, lost item locator, meal planner, boo-boo kisser, teacher, laundromat, merry maid, storyteller, adventure planner, problem solver, proofreader and soft place to land, just to name a few. Sometimes to our kids and even our spouses we do so much, we give so much, that we forget we can't do it all. So what happens when that reality hits?

After we realize we aren't perfect or invincible there are few things we can do.

1.  Shift our focus from ourselves to God.
Focusing on ourselves gives us a skewed view of reality. We are easily influenced by the world around whether its influencing moms on social media or other moms in our local MOPS group. We see these other moms and think "they have it all together," "their life must be easier," or "how do they do it all?" That type of worldly, self-focus isn't healthy or helpful. When we shift our focus from self to God our entire view changes. We no longer see other moms as a competition but we cheer them on in their success. We no longer compare ourselves or our kids to others but we rejoice in the gifts we've been blessed with. As followers of Christ, we are blessed with knowing the truth that we are exactly who God has created us to be and we are not called to seek perfection but instead called to glorify Him in all we do.

Colossians 3:2-Set your minds on what is above not what is on the earth

2. Accept that are weak but He is strong.
We would all love to be SuperMom, the mom that does it all and never grows weary, but let’s face it that's not realistic. We get tired. We get frustrated. We get downright "done" some days. We cannot fool ourselves anymore into thinking we can "handle" it because we can't.  We are weak but that's okay because He isn't and we have full access to His strength when we live in Him.

2 Corinthians 12:9- But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore I will most gladly boast all the more about my weakness, so that Christ's power may reside in me.

3. Rest in Him and no one else.
 As much as we love our kids and our husbands they cannot recharge us and reassure us the way God can. Sure, our husbands can give us "breaks" from time to time. I know right now my husband is taking my oldest to run errands while my youngest naps but that only gives me temporary rest. For true rest and revitalization, I turn to Christ and God's Word. Pouring my heart out to Him and letting His Word reveal His truth to me gives me a rest I cannot explain. I may still be physically tired but my soul will have energy to continue to pour out His love to my little ones so that they may one day learn to run to Him for all they need.

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I wish we could do it all. I wish I had some amazing tips on how to do it all, but we can't and I don't. What I do have is a Savior who loves me just as I am and meets me in the middle of my mess.

Blessings,

Laura Dedmon