We moms, we think we’re all alone, don’t we?
We think our problems are worse than everyone else’s. We think our children’s sinful hearts are more sinful than everyone else’s. We think our weak spots have to be hidden, and can’t imagine telling the truth about what’s happening in our homes.
During those times, we often feel trapped.
Set up to fail
My husband works shift-work and only gets to come to church with us twice a month if we’re lucky. When our boys were small, I avoided bringing them into the service for communion at the end because I knew I couldn’t control them without the help of my husband. We missed numerous church picnics, turned down endless play dates, and endured more preschool or Sunday school calls from teachers than I care to remember, all because our boys were (and are) 250% boy. Even people who loved them, and wanted to help them, didn’t know how to contain them. Venturing out into public began to feel like setting myself up for failure. And so, to a large extent, I quit.
I wore the burden of it all like a straight jacket . . . bound up by shame and incapable of getting loose by myself.
Hope
In 2011, I co-wrote a tiny little eBook called Hope for the Weary Mom: Where God Meets You in Your Mess. My heart was to reach weary moms with a message of hope and joy in the midst of life’s stresses and struggles. To our surprise, Stacey Thacker and I found thousands of other moms who were looking for a little hope too.
The number one piece of feedback we get from this little book is this:
“I thought I was the only one…”
- The only one whose children aren’t perfect
- The only one who is exhausted day in and day out
- The only one who wonders where I went wrong
- The only one who is disappointed that the life I’m living isn’t at all like the one I dreamed of…
Ever felt like this?
“Right now, I have nothing to give. Nothing. Nada. I’m tired and don’t feel good and honestly, I want a break from everything. It’s not that I want to leave my family, trade them in, or get new ones. I WANT to be with them. I just want a break from hard hearts, discipline, correction. I want their hearts changed and I can’t do it myself.
Sometimes, the knowledge of this makes me feel hopeless and helpless.”
If so, you’re a lot like me…and many, many other women.
Around 10,000 women have been affected by the message of Hope for the Weary Mom in some way since we released it in December 2011. And our prayer is that 10,000 more would find hope in the midst of their messes as we release the brand new, expanded version ofHope on October 23, 2012.
At our readers’ request, Stacey and I have taken that small, but powerful eBook, and added over 50% more content. We’ve poured our heart and soul and words (around 30,000 to be exact) into bringing you the hope that the God of the universe is working in your life, does care about you, and sees you right where you are. Right now.
Today I happened to jot down the many confessions for the day, and this article caught my interest from 'mom of boys' mob society blog. It just seemed to take the words out of my mouth, so I thought I would reblog this. Plus there's a giveaway at the site: two birds, one stone. But really, whether you are a mom of boys or just a mom in general, this has been a very resourceful and encouraging site to me. Check it out when you get a free moment…
