“I’m in the depths of despair…”
I’m not prone to drama, but since becoming a mother I’ve certainly had my moments.
That particular night was no different. The weight of responsibility of raising three human beings and the insurmountable gap between the mother I wanted to be and the mother I really was overwhelmed me.
I’d had an awful day with my children. I was tired, they were tired and it seemed as though everyone had the emotional stomach flu.
Every offense was magnified a thousand times and our raw responses couldn’t be kept down.
When I finally crossed the merciful finish line called “bedtime” I retreated to the garage, sat in my minivan and in the blazing July heat of Texas, my sweat and tears streamed down my face in one ugly mess.
As I sat in the drivers’ seat wondering why God entrusted such beautiful children to such an failing mama, it was as if He reminded me that I can’t possibly lead my children if I don’t know where I’m going. And I can’t know where I’m going until I get out of the drivers’ seat and let Him lead me.
That night I decided to follow Jesus. Oh, I’d been a Christian for years and years, and following at a distance had always worked just fine.
But in that desperate season of motherhood with all of my emotions and hopes hemmoraging, I needed to be like the woman in Scripture…fighting with all my might to simply grasp the hem of His robe.
In my day to day life, that grasping looks like bleary eyes reading His words. That fight looks like my alarm clock. That healing has, in my weakness, not been from taking hold of everything God has for me. No, that healing has come from seemingly insignificant brushes with the hem of His greatness in fleeting moments of the morning. And the change? Miraculous. Slow, but miraculous.
I am not a perfect mother, but I am now a perfectly hopeful mother. And each morning, I grasp for His robe, listen for His direction, plan my day accordingly and do what I can to strength my body for the task ahead.
God. Plan. Move.
That routine has transformed my life.
Some days that looks like a 1 minute prayer, a glance at my to do list and 10 squats.
Other mornings I have more time, but it’s the habit that has made the difference, not the clock.
“It’s the habit that has made the difference, not the clock.”
If you’re feeling desperate in your motherhood today, can I encourage you that this habit is possible for you? And that by the grace of God, it can transform your life…
Habits beget habits. And the first habit of the day is the foundation for the rest of the day. It is your stake in the ground declaring that this day will be lived with purpose and intention.
Is it hard? Oh yeah.
Will you want to claim your first failed morning as a reason to quit the whole thing? Certainly.
Will you want to make excuses? Definitely.
But every obstacle and every failure you face can be “your excuse or your story.” Your choice.
“It’s time to choose between making and excuse or making a story.”
Dream with Me
Dream with me, will you? Imagine how you’ll feel tomorrow knowing that, only a few minutes into the day, you did three of the most important things you could do all day long.
Imagine how you’ll feel after having some time in the Word, praying for your kids, making a simple plan and making your body stronger for all that lies ahead?
It doesn’t take much. Just a few minutes and some of that mama courage.
No matter what stage of life you are in, no matter how much time you have (or don’t have) in the mornings, no matter your natural ability to plan or the state of your health, just take the first step and set your alarm clock for tomorrow morning.
God. Plan. Move.
Read a Psalm. Write a to do list on a sticky note. Do 3 sets of jumping jacks or squats.
“Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.” -John Wooden
The Future of HelloMornings
You may know that I started this blog by writing an ebook called Maximize Your Mornings. That ebook launched HelloMornings, a movement of women all over the world dedicated to making the most of their mornings.
HelloMornings has been running on it’s own, under the amazing leadership of Katie Orr, for quite awhile, but I’m super excited to be jumping back into a leadership role now.
Will things change at Inspired To Action? Oh, you might see me writing here or sharing a friend’s story 2 or 3 times a month, but everything else will stay the same. I hope to create more practical resources to help you too. I’m beyond excited about the ideas our team is dreaming up.
Most of all, I hope you see your own heart inspired, your own mornings slowly transforming, your days with your children blossoming and your life with God blooming.
I’m thankful for you today and I truly, deeply believe that God can and wants to do amazing things through you. I challenge you today to believe it too…
Take Action: If you’ve been inspired, take action. Set your alarm for tomorrow and tell me in the comments. Also? Bonus cool points if you can name the source of the quote at the very beginning of this post.
Amanda Holland is a pastor’s wife, mom of two boys and a Yorkie, registered dental hygienist, and children’s pastor. She shares her passion for living in God’s grace at her blog 
Today we are chatting with Stacey Thacker about her books Hope for the Weary Mom and Being OK with Where You’re At and we also discuss how we are navigating teens, tweens and social media.
