Tired Mom? Here’s The Rest You Need

Tired moms, I feel you today.

For real.

I said goodbye to my four-year-old granddaughter who was with me for a week.

A whole week of Princess Dance Camp and chattering and potty runs and dress-ups and changing itty bitty doll clothes a zillion times and the incessant melody of Shimmer and Shine and constant giggles and delightful make-believes and Waking. Up. At. The. Crack. Of. Dawn.

 

 

It was fun.

Memorable.

And exhausting.

And the day after we hugged and said goodbye I turned to Jello.

 

I thought I was simply exhausted. Like a tired mom is.

 

But once I pulled myself from the bed and got as far as the living room couch, I found myself battling feelings I hadn’t wrestled with in a while.

I felt irritable.

The tiniest things were getting on my nerves.

My husband poured me a cup of coffee and set it down on the coffee table in front of me. And all I could think of was “Don’t bring me my coffee while I’m sitting on the couch. I’ll get it myself when I’m ready for it and I’ll drink it in the kitchen, thank you.”

Like, what???

Then I pondered how to spend my day now that I had it all to myself. And all I could think about were family members at the beach and friends on vacation. And I found myself thinking “You never have any fun. Everyone else has all the fun. Because they’re fun people. You’re not a fun person. Your life is boring. Because you’re boring.”

What in the world???

My husband escaped left for the deer camp and I sat alone in the kitchen (with my coffee) and opened my Bible for the first time in a few days.

 

 

As I began to read the Psalms, I felt as though I’d gone without water for days on end and I couldn’t get enough to satisfy my dried-up soul. I was tearing through the pages of my Bible like a parched puppy whose head and ears and feet are all up in the water bowl because he can’t lap the water fast enough.

 

And I knew what my problem was.

 

Yes, I was physically tired.

But more than that, I was spiritually exhausted.

Life had been so much fun and so full, I’d convinced myself I didn’t have time for my normal Bible study and prayer and being quiet before God.

 

When life is good

Tired mom, I’m old enough to know by now that’s how we’re most likely to find ourselves headed into spiritual turmoil.

Not necessarily when life is going downhill, but when life is good and our days are full.

And we get so caught up in taking care of people, we forget to take care of our ourselves.

We get irritable.

And discontented.

We’re more likely to compare ourselves to other moms (cue social media).

Our hearts grow cold or judgmental or hyper-sensitive.

We believe lies.

We grow fearful.

And anxious.

And mean.

Because yes, we’re tired.

 

But our hearts are tired, too.

 

Only moments after I’d opened my Bible, I felt my heart begin to soften. I felt bad about the way I’d acted and the ridiculous thoughts I’d entertained.

I began counting my blessings and remembering all I have to be thankful for.

Suddenly I didn’t feel nearly as tired. My soul felt rested and refreshed.

 

Rest for your soul

Tired mom, don’t underestimate your need to feed your spirit and find rest for your soul.

Our souls have an insatiable thirst for God. And nothing in this world…no person, no home, no amount of friends or fun…can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart.

So, turn on the praise music while you do the potty runs… trade in social media for a Bible app… pray while the kids watch a DVD in the car…or, at the very least, take just one Bible verse a day and meditate on it.

I’ve been there. I was in that season for years, so I know finding time is hard. But not nearly as hard as trying to get through life with a dry and parched soul that’s longing for Jesus.

 

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.

Psalm 42:1