5 Ways to Find Beauty in the Mess of Motherhood on Hard Days
I'll admit, it's not always easy to find the beauty in the mess of motherhood. Some days it's downright impossible. Those days that your feet have barely even touched the floor and you are already hearing the fighting, which makes you just want to curl your feet back under the blankets and snuggle in your warm bed. The days that you hide in the bathroom or closet just for a moment of quiet {of course then someone always comes to beat on the door, wrecking that solitude}. Those days that you spend more time escaping onto social media because you really can't face the reality of your day and you need to know that you are not alone.
You know what kind of days I'm talking about.
Maybe for you, that's every day. Maybe you knew motherhood would be hard, but what you experience every day is almost unbearable. You don't know what each day will bring, and that terrifies you.
I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers because I don't. I can't speak to every situation. But I pray that maybe these are at least a starting point for you. Maybe they will spark an idea that you know will work for you and your situation.
{{Hugs}} sweet friends. You are not alone. We are in this together.
5 Ways to Find Beauty in the Mess
1. Start a gratitude journal.
Write down three things you are thankful for. They don't have to be earth-shattering. Just three things that happened that day, things you saw, people you spoke with, anything that you are thankful that day. It can even be giving thanks for the packet of sugar to put in your coffee because you can't drink it black. Three things. Even on the super-hard days there are things we can be thankful for, we just need to change our perspective a bit. Write down the beauty in the mess.
2. Go to Scripture.
The Word is God is life-giving. It is sweeter than honey. Refreshment for our souls. Useful for teaching and rebuking. It's sharper than a two-edged sword. Place encouraging Scripture around the places you frequent so you can read them often. Here are 10 Scriptures for hard days to get you started.
3. Listen to the Word.
There is a marked difference in our house if we are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and just sitting in that insane day counting down the minutes until bedtime or if I try to change to mood by listening to Scripture put to music. Our favorites are Seeds of Worship Praise and Hidden in My Heart. I start singing, the kids start singing, and the words are just a balm to our souls. Exactly what we needed in that moment. Especially on those hard days, I always wonder why it took me so long to turn on the music.
4. Text a friend {but don't forget to pray}.
On these days I can feel especially lonely. Satan uses those hard days to really get to me. On those days I feel like giving up. I wonder why in the world God blessed me with these amazing children because I'm a horrible mother. I wonder how I'm going to survive the teenage years when I can't get my five-year-old to be honest with me or my four-year-old to be kind and loving to others. Usually, a quick text to a friend and I know I'm not alone. But here's the key. Pray first. Ask God to help you through this. Whatever is going on isn't a surprise to Him. He knows the bigger picture and how exactly this fits into that puzzle. Sometimes it's easier to phone a friend and forget about God. You'll get a quick response from a friend. God may seem silent. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't go to Him first.
5. Find someone to bless.
This might not be easy. I know with four children under the age of six, this is kind of hard. Hard but doable. At home, you can have the children draw pictures or write letters of encouragement to people. You can mail those to people you know. Maybe shut-ins at your church or to a local nursing home. I want to buy a bunch of balloons and pass them out one by one. Who isn't happy when you hand them a balloon? You could also pass out flowers. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru, at the movies, anywhere really. Pass out gift cards to strangers. There are so many possibilities. The point is to get your head out of the situation and focus on something else. Sometimes you just have to get in the car and drive somewhere, praying as you go that God would lead you and open your eyes to see the need. There is so much beauty in the mess around you.
These are all excellent ideas. When we’re down, focusing on God and on others always takes us from self to Him. Thanks for making these ideas practical too.