Finishing Strong
Well my friends here we are, mid August already! The dog days of summer. What happened?Summer vacation went by fast and slow all at the same time. I seem to have hit a wall and I feel Done. D.O.N.E. done. Done with the fun, done with the heat, done with vacations, camps, playdates and crafts. (we seriously melted crayons in the sun the other day). I started off strong, loving my lazy summer mornings, coffee, rested happy children swimming on a whim. Summer brought us, friends and relatives, camps, lots of volleyball and basketball, a broken foot and a broken rib. (The foot was David and the rib well, that one was me!).It really was an awesome summer break and we milked it for all it was worth but I am done!I love my family but being "on" non stop with children from 6:30 am with my Bubbas who hit the ground running, to midnight chats with the teens is more than this mama can take.These days I am waking up early to steal a few quiet moments to myself. I find myself daydreaming about the first day of school and lots and lots of structure. I have shifted from super fun summer mom (which I vowed to be) to exhausted short fused mom who I don't like very much. I start to loath the sound of my own name, and the voices of my children sound like nails on a chalk board."Guess what kids,I don't know what to do either! I am bored too and there is nothing new or exciting to do, eat, or watch! I don't want to see your mine-craft, or your tweet or your funny pin!" Then the barrage of back to school needs start rolling in and I want to keep a running tally this month on how many sentences start with "I need" or "We need."Then I stop myself and assess.One thing I have learned is this, if everyone and everything is bugging me, the problem must be me. The kids are not really doing anything wrong or different for that matter. The problem lies within.My tank has run empty and I simply need more.Just a little more so I can finish strong.Our pastor once said this, " If they are not on your heart, they will be on your nerves."Who else should they share their interests with? I do desire to be part of their life and I do want to know what they are doing and I WILL be sad if they stop asking and when they are gone and no one calls my name, so I need to be careful how I behave.Am I praying for my children daily?Am I praying for summer and the dog days of August that I know are hard.Am I praying for myself and the grace of God, the peace that passes all understanding?Do I ask God to give me the Joy of the Lord as my strength instead of complaining in front of my children and audibly longing for school to start?I can finish strong, dig deep and find more.Ask God to fill me up! He has food for my soul if I ask Him.I need His help daily!The Israelites were given manna (food) from heaven DAILY as they wandered in the wilderness.They could not store it up or save it for the next day they had to get it fresh every morning or it would be no good. God and His word are my manna from heaven and he will sustain and strengthen me as I seek him daily!I am going to finish summer strong. I will seek God, smile and greet my children in the morning and my husband in the evening and treat them well, make a few more memories before they head back to a new season of school, and a new set of trial and pressures are upon us. Let's dig deep friends and pull a few more fun things out of the proverbial hat! We can do it! I know we can! And we will be glad we did!
Hebrews 12:1
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.