I don’t know about you, but every once in a while I get to a place where I feel like I’m drowning under the pressures of life. This is where the gift of grace steps into our life and we can rest in Jesus’ promises instead of our weakness.
“D-O-N-E! Done! I’m done!” Done with what you may ask. I’m honestly not sure.
I’ll never forget that day and neither will my daughters. They will never let me live down my tirade from that day. Thankfully, now 8-10 years later, we can all laugh about it.
But that day was no laughing matter. Looking back, I don’t even remember what all had led up to my proclamation of being done. It probably had been a long day of homeschooling my four daughters and I still had all of my normal household duties left to do. And I was exhausted.
I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just wanted a little bit of help! Why couldn’t those girls just do what I had asked by cleaning their room and helping me out a little. After all, I hadn’t messed up their rooms.
So while I was folding the mounds of laundry from the previous week in the downstairs family room, I could hear them in their rooms above me doing anything but cleaning their rooms.
That’s when this exasperated and worn out mother blew! As I declared my state, I think my girls were all secretly snickering behind their bedroom doors.
I’m so glad that day is behind me. It’s not one of my prouder moments. But as I look back and reflect, I do realize that Jesus has used that day to teach me a lesson.
For a while after that day, the girls would love to tell the story. While they did, they laughed, and I cringed. I didn’t want other people to know that side of me. Each time they told the story, the sting was a little less sharp. Why? Because I think I realized that I cannot be everything to everyone. But I can be who Jesus created me to be.
Jesus gives me grace each morning. He gives me this grace so once again I can be who He’s created me to be. He knows I will fail even before I know it. He’s walked this earth and He knows the challenges we face because He faced them too. But He loves us anyway. And He freely gives us grace because He knows we’ll need it.
Jesus gives me grace each morning.
Why then, do I find it hard to give myself grace when Jesus freely gives grace so often?
As I reflect on that day, I realize that I became frustrated because of the expectations I had for myself that day, and truth be told, the expectations I had for my girls to clean their rooms that day. But when we don’t meet those expectations, instead of blowing my top, I need to look to Jesus’ example and extend myself grace just like He would. The laundry will get done. The other household chores will get done. And I’ll still have the top on my head.
If I learn to give myself grace more often, does that enable me to pass that grace along to others in my life more easily. Yes! Because when I remember where that grace came from and how it was achieved, I will no longer focus on the things of this world, but keep my eyes right where they should be. On Jesus.
Yes, the work will never stop coming, especially for a mom with kids that are still living at home. When it doesn’t get done, instead of getting upset, I need to remember to give myself grace so that I can give others grace as well.
So now when my college-aged girls come home and dump all of their bags right inside the front door, I smile. I remember the day we now all laugh about and realize I eventually did get those mounds of laundry folded. And their rooms eventually did get clean, although probably not that day. Hang in there, mom! Some days those kids will fly from the nest and you’ll miss the messy room and the snickers behind the door.
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A Little More About Angela
Angie is a believer, a wife to Erik, a homeschool mom to four daughters, and an aspiring blogger. With two of her daughters currently in college, she is halfway to the empty nest years. She had already been thinking how she would best handle that transition when she decided to launch her freelance business in February 2019. She assists women entrepreneurs by helping with administrative tasks, proofreading, copywriting, and social media management so they can get back to growing their business and developing relationships with their customers. Her faith in Christ is very important to her as she strives to give herself and others grace.
Website: www.angieaskelsen.com
Facebook: fb.me/angieaskelsenCBS
Email: [email protected]