I’ve been that exhausted mom.
Some days I’m bone-tired and foggy-thinking and just plain wiped-out.
I collapse into bed and pray for a deep refreshing sleep and for more of His divine strength to carry me through tomorrow.
Is this you, too?
Some days you feel weary and weak, and it’s simply because life can be hard. You’re not doing anything wrong, you’re not to blame, but you resolve to practice embracing your weakness and leaning hard into His strength to get through the day.
Then there are other times… times when you insist on carrying a heavy load that was never meant for you to carry in the first place.
Yes, He promised He’d never put more on us than we can bear, that’s true. But what if we’re putting more on ourselves than we can bear?
Dear exhausted mama, remember this one thing today…
You know that mountain of overwhelm you’re carrying on your back? You were only supposed to CLIMB it, not CARRY it.
STOP.
Get out from under it.
You can’t fix everyone and everything, but you know the One who can.
Leave it at Jesus’s feet.
Get alone in your war room with Him.
Let Him restore and refresh you and then….only then…begin the climb, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, one task at a time.
Stand and be still when you feel breathless.
This is how you find your way to the top of the mountain instead of being crushed and broken under it’s weight.
You cannot be all things to all people.
You cannot be God.
You cannot heal every situation that comes into your life.
You cannot continue to be an exhausted mom.
There are burdens only God can carry. Clinging to them will keep you in a perpetual state of overwhelm and exhaustion. They will keep you in the valley far longer than you need to be there.
Give them to Him.
It won’t be easy. It’s like an exercise for your spiritual muscles. Your “fitness” will improve over time. Your faith will grow. Your prayer life will deepen. Your perspective will change. The view from the mountaintop is very different than the view from the valley.
It will be worth the climb.
Onward, sweet friend, and go in grace today,
Related: A prayer for the mom with anxiety and 10 verses for the mom who feels helpless
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Thank you for this post! I love this quote: You know that mountain of overwhelm you’re carrying on your back? You were only supposed to CLIMB it, not CARRY it.
Thank you for the reminder today!
Thanks, Charlie… I appreciate you pausing to comment!
Thanks for the Excellent Article! Also, for those that want a complementary book… The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers by Meg Meeker MD is helpful for exhausted, overwhelmed moms.
Yes! Thanks for the recommendation! (For anyone who wants to check out this book, here’s a direct link to it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2j0ECIj)
This is a very helpful and encouraging post. I have been an exhausted caregiver over the past 9 years as my disabled husband has trouble sleeping. Since he should not be up at night alone due to possible fallings, that means I don’t sleep either. I also work full time so I have no energy and on the weekends after doing all my manditory chores, I am worn out. I am really gonna sit down with your details and see if I can change my life.
Thank you.
Thank you for this! I’ve been carrying my mountains around for the last 2 years, instead of just climbing them. This was a great reminder…I’m not strong enough to carry them in the first place. Sometimes I guess we just get so focused on trying to fix things instead of giving them to Jesus. Thanks for putting this into perspective.