You're Doing a Good Job — The Grace House

A few weeks ago we had a torrential downpour in the Houston area, which led to some pretty disastrous flooding. The area where we live was hit pretty hard, and at one point the water was even starting to rise on our street. Aside from the flooding itself, it was also a difficult week because the entire city was pretty much shut down. Roads were closed, stores were closed, restaurants were closed, and SCHOOL WAS CLOSED...for the entire week. My daughter goes to preschool twice a week, and as a stay at home mom, I need those days. Perhaps I should have just thought of it as preparation for summer break. Generally when May rolls around I've started to mentally prepare for the three months ahead. I hadn't begun this yet in April. The concern over the water rising outside our front door and the fact that we were housebound for a week had my patience running low. I felt tired, irritable, and I was flat out of ideas to keep my (very busy) daughter entertained. You know how it goes, we get to that point, and we start to self talk, self berate, we let those oh so subtle lies creep into our hearts. "I'm not doing a good job." "I'm a bad mom." "I yelled too much yesterday." "I can't believe I just let my daughter watch Frozen four times today!" You get the idea. That chatter had started in my heart. By the end of that week I was starting to feel like a bit of a failure, that is until I heard it. If you've ever heard that soft, clear whisper of God speaking to your heart then you recognize it when you hear it again, and there it was. The words were so simple but exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. "You're doing a good job." That was it. That simple phrase was spoken into my heart, and it was all I needed. It squelched all the chatter, all the lies. I AM doing a good job! I'm sharing this with you because I think it's something every mama needs to hear and to really believe. In a world where the pressures of parenting seem to increase daily, it's sooo easy to believe that you're not measuring up, that you're not good enough. Don't believe it. Those littles in your home, or maybe they aren't so little anymore, either way you were chosen to be their mom, and let me tell you, you're perfect for the job. You absolutely have what it takes. So, this Mother's Day KNOW that you're doing a good job! You are a beautiful, special, integral, irreplaceable part of your children's lives. Know it. Take it to heart, and see what a difference it makes. Enjoy your day, mamas!