3 Gifts Learned

I am not Supermom or a princess fairy with a magical wand ...

I learned about expectations and time management again. Yesterday I was a bit overwhelmed by all that I wanted to get done in my day, but did not accomplish despite being at home all day. Ideally I would get up to exercise, read the bible, get showered and dressed, cook breakfast, do lessons with the kids, feed the baby, sing songs, read books with the kids, wash the dishes, prep snack, paint or do a homemade craft with the kids, do baths, prep a healthy lunch, clean and organize the mess of my house, work on my book, catch up on my blog, read Devin’s book, practice taking pictures with my camera, learn about photography... and the list goes on. Listing all my wants makes me laugh because I know how real life happens and I am lucky to get a shower in before Devin leaves for work.   

 So to help me out I had a talk with Dave Ramsey, NOT really, but Devin pretended to be him and I pretended to be a caller.

In Dave like fashion, Devin asked some questions to assess my time, “So how much time do you have?”  

M: Well, I am home all day.

D: Ok, Do you have any children?

M: Yes, 3.

D: How old are they?

M: 4, 3, and 15mo.

D: So you don’t really have any time, right?

M: Umm, Yeah, I guess that’s about right.

D: My guess is that the time that you do have without kids you are probably tired and the last thing you want to do is write, work on projects or read a book. You just want to go to bed or relax. Is that right?

M: Yep...

The conversation was great because it helped me look at the situation differently and to see that I am attempting to live a 200,000 life style on a 25,000 dollar budget. I try to cram as much as I can in the windows of opportunity only to be discouraged when they do not happen. I have to work with what time I have and at the moment that is not a lot. Especially with interrupted sleep at night, my little man does not sleep through night yet, and a 3 year old who is starting to not take naps, but really needs them!

I have also learned that I need to change my idea of a successful day. Right now my job and number one priority are my kids and for me, second is training for the half marathon that is in 7 weeks! So that means the rest of the things I want to do are extras. I have to “pay the bills” first and then decided what to do with the left overs. Some days that means I can do three or four items on my list other days ten or only one, but as long as the essentials are taken care of I am doing great.   

Lastly it is about contentment and joy. It is so easy to say you’re going to change and another to consistently live in it. This week was evidence of that because I slipped back into discontentment. The clouds rolled in and I had to blow really hard to get them to leave. I knew it was my heart that was the problem, but I let it linger in the familiar too long and the anxiety started to creep back in and blocked out the truth that although I am not full of super powers or magical abilities, I am a wonderful Mom because I love my kids and I care for them with all the love I can give. God has given me the joy of raising three very different children each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. He has given me the grace to do this job I just have to run to Him, be humble and give thanks!! Each day is a chance for me to either see my imperfections or the Perfect One, but I have to choose what to see. To look at Him I have to daily shift my eyes and see that being a mom is more than changing diapers and filling endless cups of water. It is about the eternal and three precious children knowing the endless love of their Creator, God.