Mom Managers

I get it moms. There are days we all just want to hide in our bedrooms and never come out. We want our homes to be spotless, our kids to be little angels, our husbands to feel like he is the luckiest man alive, we want perfection. I have news for you. We will never obtain perfection, at least not until we reach heaven. 

We will strive and strive for this, but it will never happen. This will lead us to burnout, depression, anxiety, discontent, and the list goes on. Then, we will all hide these feelings because we do not feel worthy of anything since we cannot keep it together like every other mom on the planet because they all have it together. We end up feeling like we are all alone on this planet of motherhood, or feel alone in our own deep trench in the mom battlefield. 

We actually end up putting ourselves in this position. I feel we have a distorted view of God's plan for a woman. Yes, we are the managers of our own households. Think about a manger of a company, like a restaurant or department store. The manager organizes the schedule, makes sure the restaurant is properly stocked, and keeps track of the employees contentment. 

Let's look at the schedule. I have three daughters. You may have 2 kids, 4 kids, or more than 5 kids. My husband works a full-time job with weird 4 pm to midnight hours with one graveyard shift in there. He also has a part-time job where he can set his own hours, and oddly enough I have the same part-time job. We are a homeschooling family that is actively involved in our homeschool group. I get busy and hectic, this you are NOT alone in. We create our schedule. We create the hectic life. We set the tone of our "On the Go" family. I have to add to this that I have fibromyalgia and benign tumor issues and my husband lives with chronic pain. I have to realize that rest has to be a priority in my family. I am willing to deal with a week every now and then that is full on go, go, go, but my body will not keep up with that pace. I do not feel that God wants me to either. The Bible is full of scriptures about rest. In Psalm 23, the psalmist spoke of God leading him beside still waters and his soul was restored. (Psalm 23:2-3) Christ calls to us, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Even Christ knew the importance of down time. We, as moms, are not any good to our family if we are living in constant go mode. You have to make you a priority. 

Okay, so how do we make this happen? I get it. Meals, house cleaning, homework, practices, work, church it all takes up our time and attention. Get your calendars or planners out. Write it all down on the calendar. You just might find there is an evening that is free, so keep it that way!  Do not be afraid to skip out on Wednesday night Bible study to just spend an evening at home with your family. Skip out on the homeschool field trip. Stay home from the ladies meeting. Protect that time. We are creating a generation of adrenaline junkies that need constant entertainment. We have to teach our families the value of rest. Hit the reset button today. Plan a meal together every week, at least one, prayerfully more. Do not just find time, make the time. You are creating a new generation of family. Odds are that your children will emulate what you create now. Turn off the noise around you. Go and sit outside with your family and learn the value of being still.