We mamas are crazy busy and we tend to run from need to need and forget that deep down we need a few things, too. Sometimes, it takes hopping on a plane and flying across the country to remember who we are and what feeds are souls.
- A mama needs to go.
She needs to remember that before she was a mama she was a girl who could carry on adult conversations and eat an entire meal without being interrupted. Guilt will try to keep her from remembering and fear will tell her she’d be better off staying. But unless she finds bread for herself, she will not have anything left to give others. And truth be told, they will thank her for going in the end
- A mama needs to laugh.
She needs to laugh long and loud and not apologize for it. She may need to laugh about being a mother or something funny her kids said. But is perfectly okay to laugh at hilarious lines from a Will Ferrel movie too. Laughing lets go of the stress and frees her up to receive.
- A mama needs to dream.
A mama who dreams will raise babies who dream. She needs to realize that her dreams matter to God, because they started with Him. If she gives them to Him and listens real close, He’ll give them wings.
- A mama needs friends who cheer her on.
She needs to be able to kick her shoes off and talk long with a sweet sister over pizza and swap stories. A mama’s heart grows 10x’s bigger when another mama looks at her and says, “I believe in what God is doing here.”
- A mama needs to worship.
She needs to be reminded that God is bigger and deeper than anything four kids can dish out. She needs to raise her hands and release her smallness into the arms of a graceful Father who loves to love her through song.
- A mama needs a challenging word.
The mission we call motherhood is not for the faint of heart and the only thing that will get us through is the Word made flesh Himself. His Words bring courage. His Words also shed light on the dark places. And a challenge well spoken will rally us to the frontline willingly.
- A mama needs to return.
She needs to hear her children squeal with delight when she exits the taxi and feel the warmth of their breath on her neck as they squeeze her so tight she can’t breathe. She also needs to realize that they survived without her for a few days, and as good as it is to be home, it was certainly okay to leave.
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Special thanks to Lifeway and B&H Publishers for helping to make this past weekend possible. They loved on this mama and a thousand more with grace and sweet southern charm. It was exactly what I needed.
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I pray you have a weekend filled with exactly what you need. I’m praying your heart is refreshed and fed.
xoxo,
Stacey
Looking or a book on motherhood? Check out Hope for the Weary Mom and other books here.
Oh Stacey friend…this is beautiful and so true. I love the part about needing to dream God’s dreams in order to have children who learn to dream God’s dreams. Thank you sweet girl. I’m so glad our lives intersected 🙂
I love that we get to dream together. God is so sweet to us!
so well written…thank you for the reminders. Have a great weekend, friend.
Preach!
I loved spending time with you girl! You are my kind of “people” .
Lovely to meet you! It was a neat weekend, wasn’t it?
Mary, momma to many
Mary we were just about to get into a great discussion when I had to leave for a meeting! Wish we could have more time together. Loved our weekend! Blessings sweet friend.
Stacy, looks like that was a wonderful event! This mama needs all of that and so glad I will be coming to Allume and know you’ll be there! Hope we get to meet! 🙂
Love, love, love this Stacey!! So right on!!
Blessings!
Stacey, What a beautiful post! I feel refreshed just reading it. And one of my dreams just got its wings this week (ebook released). It was so fun and I have felt so blessed by God. Hope to meet you next month!
Oh girl that is awesome! Rejoicing with you!
Thank you so much for this post. In the next month, I am taking two weekend trips. One my baby and I are visiting my mom, but it’s the first time I’ve ever left my husband at home. Although he’s been on two year-long deployments, he was going on and on about how hard it was going to be with me gone and how much he was going to miss me. And although it wasn’t his intention, I felt horrible and like I shouldn’t be going…
The second trip is for a ladies conference and I will be gone for three days. My MIL is coming in to stay with my husband and son, but I’ve never left my son (who just turned two) for more than about 22 hours. So it’s kind of a big deal.
And I can’t WAIT to go. I’m so overwhelmed and stressed with life, I just want a little escape to feed my soul, worship, hang out with sisters in Christ, and come back refreshed. But I feel so guilty for leaving my family, even though I know I shouldn’t. My husband has severe anxiety (post-war stuff) and relies on me a lot, and I just feel so empty right now and I want to be better for him…I know these two weekends away from him will help but I feel like I shouldn’t WANT to be away from him or my son, ya know? Anyway, thanks again. I really needed this!
Aprille I will be praying for you! I know God will meet you right where you are! And He will take care of your family while you are away. Blessings!
Oh I needed to read this today! I’m already feeling homesick for my family and Allume is still 20 days away – I don’t know that I know how to do this socializing thing well without having my kiddo to use as a barrier when I feel awkward and shy, and I feel guilty for leaving my husband with her so long. But I know it’s God’s plan for me and I know I will go home a better wife & mother for having the time away. I hope 🙂