This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt suits exactly what I wanted to write about anyways, “Mom.” Here is my 5 minutes of writing with little to no edits (so hard, by the way).

First, I want to say I know Mother’s Day is a tough day for many people for so many reasons. I want to point you to my friend Amy’s post from a few years back. Our church in Denver began to read her litany for Mother’s Day, because it covered all of the complexities of women in the church. All of the hurts, disappointments, and yes, joys of Mother’s Day. Go read it. Don’t even read this if you don’t want to.

But really, here is my post today:

Dear Tired Mom, I see you

I was snapchatting with my sister who is 22 weeks pregnant about just how tired we are. She was lamenting that she can no longer get up early to exercise or read her Bible, because she needs so much more sleep.

I’ve been struggling with that for 9 years. 

Tired moms, I see you, and I believe God does too.

He sees when the day is too long and sleep is too short.

He sees when you have to get up in the middle of the night again. 

He sees when you cry in the bathroom while you try to take a shower, but there are little fingers sneaking under the door and you don’t feel like you can truly take care of yourself.

He sees you when you don’t know how you are going to pay the bills or make another meal or clean another toilet.

He sees you when you struggle to trust Him with your kid, but you are so worried.

He sees you.

And He is there to carry you.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to be all things for our children, spouses, extended family, coworkers, bosses.

We misread Scripture which says be all things for all people, but we take it to mean meet everyone’s expectations all of the time.

We struggle with shame and anxiety and sadness because we bear too many burdens we were not meant to bear when all the while God is waiting to hold us.

This Mother’s Day I hope you get thank yous and kisses and flowers and gifts, but most important, I hope you receive the invitation God extends to you to trust yourself to Him. Let Him do the heavy lifting for a change. And find yourself some rest.

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