You Are Enough

Oh, God.

You are my strength, my refuge. You are my hiding place. I will run to You and allow You to shield and shelter me when all of my world is filled with chaos.

Psalms 119:114 “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” Psalms 62:7 “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

There are days when we just have to ask God to give us the strength to keep going. As Momma’s, we get tired, and weary, and worn down. It is important that we set aside time to just breathe. Being a mother and a wife is one of the most rewarding things! I do believe that this is what I was called to be…but sometimes I feel that I do not measure up to that calling.

I feel that there are women that do so much more than I and they seem to have it all put together. But this is me. And this is my family and my life. We shouldn’t try to measure up to others, but to measure up to what God wants us to be.

There may be another mother looking at you thinking that you have it all put together. The reality is that we are all living this life the best we can. And so I’m here to tell you that You Are Enough.

You are exactly what your husband needs when he comes home from work. He needs your arms to be wrapped around his neck, he needs to hear your voice, he needs to feel your kiss. You are enough.

You are exactly what your child needs. God created that little miracle for you and your husband to raise, not someone else. Stop looking at others and comparing what you are and aren’t doing. You are what that child needs when he cries in the middle of the night. You are what he needs when he falls down and gets a boo boo on his knee. You are enough. You are just what your family needs.

Why have we become so focused on keeping up with “the Jones’” that we can’t enjoy life as it is? I remember when my son was in his early months and everyone was posting the cute little monthly pictures with the sticker tags. If I missed putting up my little man’s monthly picture on facebook, I would feel so disappointed in myself. I finally got to the point where I told myself to chill out and stop worrying about those silly monthly pictures.

Yes, it’s nice to have those pictures for yourself as the child grows older. But it is not worth scolding yourself for not having it posted on social media for all to see that you are a “good mother”. Now don’t get me wrong, I post plenty of pictures of my little guy on social media because I want to share this beautiful miracle with all of my friends and family.

During that time, we had foster children coming through our home and we were focused on making a good home for them, getting them well adjusted, attending court dates, and attending staffing meetings. Many lives are different and it’s time we stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to prove to social media that we are good enough. You are enough.

I can remember a few instances where I would see a mom’s post on social media about how well their child was doing in certain areas of life. We all read about how smart he/she is or the new things they are learning. But guess what, it is not so true in reality. I believe others feel compelled to paint a different picture on social media than what things truly are in reality to prove that they are a good mom.

I see videos of children learning new things and I think, “Oh! My child does that and learned it a lot earlier. I should have posted a video”. Then I think, Am I serious? Haha. I mean, why do we mother’s feel that we have to validate our child or validate that we are doing a good enough job? It’s ok. Do not feel that you have to measure up to what is put on social media because most times, it can be far from the truth of what is trying to be portrayed. You are you! You are enough.

It’s Who You Are

You may be a single mom working several jobs to provide for your little ones. You are enough.

You may be a mom of multiple children and feel the stress of trying to get each of them through school and into college. You are enough.

You may be a foster mom trying to balance worlds colliding and offering love. You are enough.

You may be a grandmother raising your children’s children, when you thought that you were through with the child-rearing years. You are enough.

You may be a new mom with too many irons in the fire trying to learn how to bond with your newborn. You are enough.

You may be a mother whose children were in foster care, trying to renew your life and make the best of the second chance you have gotten. You are enough.

You may be a stay at home mom and because you “stay at home” you feel that you have to overcompensate to prove your worth. You are enough.

You may be a working mom who feels guilty for dropping your child off at daycare every day. You are enough.

Proverbs 31:25 “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”

Pamper Yourself

I do believe that it’s appropriate, and much needed, to take time by yourself. Treat yourself to something special that you like, even if it’s only taking a long bath in the evening when the children are in bed.

I love bath products and there’s a sweet little shop in downtown Hot Springs, AR that makes homemade bath products. It is called Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium, and it is my absolute favorite! I happened upon this store while my husband and I were visiting the town, and now I have to go by there every chance I get. I even order online. No, I do not have an obsession…well maybe a small one. But the products are wonderful and the staff is always kind.

Their bath bombs are the best! I want to encourage you to at least try one of their products and you’ll see the fascination I have with this “every girl’s dream” shop. The owner, Charlene Simon who is a sweet, southern charmer, is always creating new, delightful and fun fragrances. The Bathhouse Soapery is ever expanding and is popping up in many southern states. You can find one in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Go check out her products at https://bathhousesoap.com/. (I’m not getting paid to promote, I just like her products and I believe in supporting small town businesses.)

Unwind and Decompress

Sometimes, after my son is in bed, I will go to my bathroom and close the door. I take as long as I need to unwind and just be by myself and pamper myself a little. There are times my sweet husband will bring home a bottle of sparkling grape juice and he’ll tell me to go take some time to myself. A few candles, an iPad with Netflix, bath bombs, bath salts, bath scrubs, and sparkling grape juice makes for a very relaxing evening! The bathroom will smell divine and you can just sit and unwind after a long day.

My sister and I go to the gym most nights. This is also a nice time to get away and have some girl time. She and I will go to the gym and chatter away about the day’s events and enjoy getting the stress relief through exercise.

Sometimes a long walk outside is a nice welcome. I love springtime in Arkansas, although my allergies do not, at times. But taking a walk in the warm spring air with the breeze blowing, looking at the flowers and trees blossoming, and greeting other neighbors walking can be calming and a stress release.

I have gotten to where I get up early before the rush of the day begins and I enjoy my coffee and Bible time. If I focus on the Word of God and what I’ve studied that morning, it helps my day go much better. Or maybe even listening to gospel music or the reading of the Bible on your Bible app while cleaning is a nice little stress relief.

Taking the time to slip into your closet, where it’s nice and quiet, or in the restroom at work, just to say a prayer for strength is a great pick-me-up.

However you decide to spend a little time alone for a chance to breathe a second is up to you. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy time, but it sure can go a long way to help revitalize and renew your mind and spirit. We all get into ruts of this fast-paced life but I want to tell you once again, You are enough!

Much love to you all,

I would love to hear how you like to de-stress from the day. Please leave a comment so other moms can join in on the fun.

You might also like to read:

Relaxation Tips for the Overwhelmed Mom