I don't know how you do it
I've been wanting to post on this topic for awhile now. I don't go through a week without someone saying the words, "I don't know how you do it," or some variation of that. Most people are well intentioned, and just can't imagine having 4 young kids, especially having twins....at least, I think that is what they mean. I always want to have a really good comeback, but most of the time I wonder what "it" is.
So I decided to see what Google had to say on "it." I stumbled upon a blog and thought the author, Misty, had some enlightening words when her mother had a sudden, massive heart attack :
When I was doing all the things I knew to do to take care of my mom, I never even thought about “how” I was going to do "it". Most mornings (and most nights) I told God that I couldn’t, so He had to. He did. He woke me up every morning, got me showered and cleaned, put me in my car, drove me to the hospital, and got me back to that room (not literally, but it sure felt like it). I did "it" because I couldn’t do anything else. My soul would not allow me to do anything else. I loved her. The pain and fear were not big enough to keep me from doing what had to be done.
I think Misty is right...you do "it" because you can't do anything else. "It," you see, is life.
Would this be my perfect plan? Probably not. My perfect plan would have been to be married about 10 years earlier, right after college (in which I had chosen a major I could actually get a job with!!) and had a single child about every 2 years. Oh, and have no financial worries, either. My perfect plan would not have involved battling depression, bulimia & anxiety (another post on that later). It would not have included going back to nursing school and massively struggling through it. My plan certainly would not have included losing my first 3 babies to miscarriage, either.
The more I think about how I do "it" today, the more I think that what others view as a huge burden & struggle are in reality mammoth blessings! God just chose to save up my blessings and dump them at me all at once! You see, those trials earlier in life that seemed to go on forever were preparing me for the struggles of a young mom.....with 4 kids in 4 years. YES, its hard. The sleepless nights, the endless diapers, the crying, the laundry, the constant messes and my seemingly fading patience do wear me down. I cry. A lot. But then Allison makes up a new dance move, Mia says a new word, Natalie giggles at herself in the mirror and Jenna snuggles into my shoulder. And I stop and look at those faces. My children. My blessings. And "it" doesn't seem so burdensome.
I'm doing "it" as God has given it to me....just like I did "it" when I was at a treatment center....just like I did "it" when I was in my late 20's and alone....just like I did "it" when I lost yet another baby. Sometimes the 'it' is really hard; and sometimes the 'it' is a gigantic blessing. So instead of wanting someone else's or being thankful we don't have it, let's instead encourage each other in our 'its.'... during the tragedies, witnessing the miracles, or just hanging with the ordinary.
So I decided to see what Google had to say on "it." I stumbled upon a blog and thought the author, Misty, had some enlightening words when her mother had a sudden, massive heart attack :
When I was doing all the things I knew to do to take care of my mom, I never even thought about “how” I was going to do "it". Most mornings (and most nights) I told God that I couldn’t, so He had to. He did. He woke me up every morning, got me showered and cleaned, put me in my car, drove me to the hospital, and got me back to that room (not literally, but it sure felt like it). I did "it" because I couldn’t do anything else. My soul would not allow me to do anything else. I loved her. The pain and fear were not big enough to keep me from doing what had to be done.
I think Misty is right...you do "it" because you can't do anything else. "It," you see, is life.
Would this be my perfect plan? Probably not. My perfect plan would have been to be married about 10 years earlier, right after college (in which I had chosen a major I could actually get a job with!!) and had a single child about every 2 years. Oh, and have no financial worries, either. My perfect plan would not have involved battling depression, bulimia & anxiety (another post on that later). It would not have included going back to nursing school and massively struggling through it. My plan certainly would not have included losing my first 3 babies to miscarriage, either.
The more I think about how I do "it" today, the more I think that what others view as a huge burden & struggle are in reality mammoth blessings! God just chose to save up my blessings and dump them at me all at once! You see, those trials earlier in life that seemed to go on forever were preparing me for the struggles of a young mom.....with 4 kids in 4 years. YES, its hard. The sleepless nights, the endless diapers, the crying, the laundry, the constant messes and my seemingly fading patience do wear me down. I cry. A lot. But then Allison makes up a new dance move, Mia says a new word, Natalie giggles at herself in the mirror and Jenna snuggles into my shoulder. And I stop and look at those faces. My children. My blessings. And "it" doesn't seem so burdensome.
I'm doing "it" as God has given it to me....just like I did "it" when I was at a treatment center....just like I did "it" when I was in my late 20's and alone....just like I did "it" when I lost yet another baby. Sometimes the 'it' is really hard; and sometimes the 'it' is a gigantic blessing. So instead of wanting someone else's or being thankful we don't have it, let's instead encourage each other in our 'its.'... during the tragedies, witnessing the miracles, or just hanging with the ordinary.
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