Rest in Relationships

This last week has been a great turn around from the previous weekend's meltdown, feeling overwhelmed with my role as a mom and stretched trying to meet my husband's needs while he works full-time and finishes his last semester to earn his B.A. in English Literature.  It had to have started with a prayer.  I was feeling so down Monday morning; unmotivated, discouraged.  I tried to pray myself out of it, look into my girls' precious faces to boost my spirits, but I was stuck.  I had to get up out of bed though.  I had to take care of my girls.  As I went about my morning routine, it's like a switch was turned on inside of me.  All of a sudden I was encouraged.  When my husband came home for lunch I asked him if he had prayed for me.  He had and I had felt it.  Feeling someone's prayer for you is an amazing experience.

Since then I've been able to enjoy life as a mom.  I've been able to have patience during disciplining my 2-year-old.  I've actually taken the time to cherish my 3-month-old instead of taking care of business (changing diapers, nursing), then putting her down to move on to the next task.  I think that may have been some of the source of my stress lately.  I think I've been too task-oriented since Adella was born.  When Leala was born, I took the time to just be with her.  Now that I've gotten back to relaxing with Leala and making sure I spend relational time with Adella, I have more peace in my life.  I was recently going through my notes from last year's Mom Heart Conference since I won't be able to go this year, and one of the things Sally Clarkson had shared was that, "Busyness creates harshness."  I know that's true in my life.

So instead of seeing Leala burying herself in a pile of clean laundry that needed to be sorted, folded and put away as a hindrance to me getting a chore done, I had fun laughing with her each time I "found her" hiding in the heap of clothes.  Instead of busying myself with tasks, I've enjoyed taking the time to stroke Adella's soft cheek, pet her furry head, do things that make her smile, let her practice gripping with my fingers, show an interest when she tries to talk.  When Leala has reached her arms up to me communicating that she wants me to pick her up, bring her to the couch and snuggle with her while we watch a movie, I haven't bypassed her because I have things to do.  Instead I've been thankful for the fact that God made her to be a snuggler and have taken the time to encourage that part of who she is.  And as I've been taking the time to enjoy my relationship with my girls, I've been blessed to watch the relationship that's been blossoming between Leala and Adella as sisters.

Another relationship I've found rest in this week is my one with God.  Since I've started my 4-month Bible reading plan on Monday, I've felt God speaking to me a lot more than I've allowed Him time to previously.  Being disciplined in this area has definitely had a positive impact in my life. That impact would also include how I interact with my husband.  There's been less tension and better communication.  [laughs] It's almost a joke now, when I'm easily irritated, disrespectful or stressed, Gregg will ask me, "Did you read your Bible today?"  I definitely feel a difference when I do.  And it shows, like it has this past week, in the way I relate to my girls and my husband.  When I allow God the time to fill me up, I most certainly have what I need to pour out in to others.