I mentioned yesterday how thankful I am that God never grows weary or tired, that He never sleeps. He never gets a break, never rests, never gives up or throws in the towel. He is always working, always by my side ready to help me in whatever way I need at the moment. Psalm 121 has been repeating over and over and over in my mind as I continue to experience restless nights and constant fatigue during the day. David must have known that I would need the encouragement and wrote this passage that reminds me of God's faithfulness and never-ending strength, upon which I am utterly dependent. His words were intended for those traveling on their way to Jerusalem, but they are fitting for me/us today:
I look up to the mountains--
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble;
the One who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, He who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord Himself watches over you!
The Lord stands by your side as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
As I wake up each morning, having not gotten very much rest, I am so grateful that God hasn't slept a wink and is still fresh and ready to tackle the day head on. Only by His grace and with His help am I able to do all that is asked and required of me as a wife and mommy. The famous words of Isaiah come to mind as well:
Look up to the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of His great love and power and incomparable strength,
not a single one of them is missing.
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustaion.
But those who trust in the Lord
will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Thank goodness for that promise!!! I don't know what I would do without it! Or my friends, whom God uses, to give me this strength. They come along beside me, some without even knowing it, and help me run and not grow weary. They walk with me to make sure I don't faint. And somehow, together we are able to soar high like the eagles.
I think all moms know and understand what I am saying. They can relate. They have all been there before. Some are still there, right here where I am now -- longing for a break, or at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep!
And thanks to the wonderful invention of facebook, I am able to connect with these other moms. I am encouraged, inspired, challenged, refueled, re-energized because of their status updates, pictures, blog posts, and more. I thought I would give a little shout out to these amazing women:
Michele - Your husband is a teacher too, I think. Your kids are very close in age to mine. You understand long nights by yourself, especially during Parent-Teacher Conferences and the end of the school year. Your youngest is a mama's boy and has required a lot of your attention, time, and energy -- like Kellah does with me right now. I see your life -- through facebook and your blog -- and am encouraged to keep on keeping on. If you can do it, so can I!
Melissa - You too have kiddos very close in age to me. Your youngest isn't a great sleeper, and I know you have spent many a night rocking him and not getting much rest yourself. You don't complain though, but look at it as an opportunity to bond with your son. You have experienced broken bones and who knows what all else that I haven't. If you are able to maintain a positive outlook, then surely I can do the same!
Ginger -- I really appreciated your story about the Sunday morning you spent in the bathroom. Motherhood definitely isn't glamorous, but we love our kids all the same. Knowing that you have experiences that weren't what you planned on or expected, but got through them with a smile, reminds me to laugh rather than cry. I also appreciate your pictures and stories of how well your kiddos get along and the love they have for one another. I want the same for my girlies!
Jamie -- You were deathly sick and had a little one to care for. You had to depend on others. By God's grace you overcame that illness! I love seeing your pictures and your words of encouragement. Knowing that you were able to make it through such a hard time gives me hope.
Jessi -- You trained for a long race. You ran countless miles, pushing your two girls in the stroller as you did. You did all of this out of love for your family. If you can do that, then surely I can read books and stack blocks with my girlies no matter how tired I may be.
Maggie -- You have kids puking and pooping. Some of these kids aren't yours by birth, but you love them as if they were. You invite them into your home. You show them God's grace. You don't seek out the easy life, but welcome whatever God has for you, no matter how hard the job may be. And you do it all with a confident faith, trusting that Jesus will be with you every step of the way. If it's true for you, then it's true for me as well! Thanks for pushing me to run with endurance, and to run farther and harder than I ever thought or imagined possible.
Melissa -- You share Scripture passages, articles, and more that help me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. You love your girls (and husband) with a deep, passionate love. You "attack" life and give everything you have as you love our Jesus. You inspire me to do likewise.
Vera -- You have more kids than me which means you have more loads of laundry, more dirty dishes, more people pulling your arms and legs and vying for your attention. Somehow, you manage to homeschool your kids, sew or knit really cool stuff, cook, clean, volunteer at church, and post all this to facebook. And you do it all with a smile. I want to be like you when I grow up!
Jennifer -- I used to live with you, so I know firsthand the chaos that was your life with 5 kids under the age of 7! If you survived the craziness, in a third world country, surely I can manage here in the comfort of the United States!!!
Jessi -- I can't help but laugh when you post the things your girls say. I need that comic relief throughout the day. Not to mention, I don't feel as bad when Coralyn says what sounds like a bad word or makes some off-the-wall remark that she heard from who knows where!
Tiffany -- You have kids very close in age to me as well. You have had to count every penny and seen God provide in amazing ways for you. You have never once faltered or wavered in your trust that God will provide. You have kept a positive outlook and reminded me of God's faithfulness over and over and over again. You have listened to me, laughed with me, cried with me, prayed for me, and taught me how to make delicious frappacinos! And this morning you were ready to leave work and come pick me up at Wal-Mart when my car decided not to start and I had two hot, tired girlies in the backseat and a trunk full of groceries.
Like I said, "I get by with a little help from my friends!" There are many more of you that I didn't mention here, but if you are my friend on facebook, then consider yourself a source of daily encouragement and inspiration to me. God has used you to strengthen me, to help me soar on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.
I pray that I do the same for you. After all, that is what friends are for!
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