What Doesn't Kill Us...

"Therefore we do not lose heart... inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My bad day from yesterday has yet to end.  Most often than not, I usually wake up with a refreshed attitude and yesterday's worries aren't so big anymore.  Not so much today.  It started off good, but then as I sat on the couch at noon, still in my pajamas, I realized that it's never a good idea to break your own rules.  Our summer rule is that everyone must be dressed and ready for the day and chores completed before 10am.  Seems harsh, but when we're up around 7am, three hours is more than enough time to lay around and be lazy.  Usually by 10am, the girls start fighting, I'm shooing them out the door to get them out of my hair and the house is left for me to clean up and get back in order.  Our day begins and I'm not even dressed.  Our summer rule lasted about a week and a half.  Now I'm realizing, they are rules that shouldn't be broken.

I am so thankful that my husband was home today.  He's been working a lot lately and we haven't seen him much, which probably explains why I'm getting burnt out.  Our 8-year-old has turned into a teenager overnight and our 4-year-old picked up whining and demanding.  It dawned on me recently how much I'm needed.... and it's not the kind of things that I'm really needed for, just like the Invisible Mom.  I'm needed to get a snack, find a part to a toy, referee an argument, etc.  I'm needed for one child to tattle on the other, to ask if friends can come over.  When I ask a question or say something needs to be done, I get blank stares as if I'm not even there.  All those things a mother can go days, weeks, even months before she realizes it's gotten out of hand.  And thank God for husbands who step in and take over when mom is about to break.

I mentioned to a friend that I don't make a very good Summer Mom.  We fall out of schedule very easily, I get lazy and let the kids do pretty much whatever they want but then get mad when I'm ready to get things back in order and no one wants to listen.  I love my friend so dearly, she always knows how to make me feel better.  "I don't think any of us [who stay home] make good Summer Moms...."  Thanks, Friend!  At least I'm not alone.

I do believe that no matter how old anyone is, lessons are always needing to be learned.  I certainly learned my lesson from yesterday.  I got the kids to bed on time tonight.  When we ask God for help or understanding, we are being renewed... everyday.  For our momentary troubles achieves us eternal glory, or maybe better said, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger."  But only if we ask God to help us through it.

"Do what you can do, even if you think it's not enough.  Do what you can do and God will do what you can't."  ~ Joyce Meyer

Join the Prayer Station!

I pray for my in-law's neighbors who got hit hard from the storm tonight. Trees came down hitting cars and houses and the neighborhood is a mess. I pray their power comes on very soon. We are blessed that no one was hurt.

For the people trapped in cars under power lines where my husband works. Please watch over them and my husband as he helps people get home safely.

For my friend Kristen who had surgery yesterday.

Many thanks for the extra energy to get my kids to bed on time tonight.