I just got done writing this brief update for you and I look up from my laptop to see a beautiful young woman sitting next me in a comfy leather chair, hidden in the corner of this quaint little coffee shop. Her feet are propped up on a chair, crossed in a relaxed sort of way. In one hand she is holding down a page of a book that is nestled in her lap, while her other hand is laying across her growing belly, letting her baby know that no matter what, she is there and she cares deeply.
Women…especially those of us who are carrying a sweet little baby inside…we need to do this more! We need to know the value of rest. We need to lay down some of the things yelling at us, begging for our attention, and get away for a while. We need to find time for ourselves. To think about our baby and what he or she will be like. To pray for the baby and to pray for ourselves.
We need to prop our feet up and shake the stress from our shoulders.
We need to know that there will be seasons we can’t do it all…and that’s okay! Because we are doing something quite extraordinary.
Even if you only have 5 minutes, take time to pause, to rest, or to get lost in a hobby that requires no brain power but leads to a place your heart will experience peace. You need to do this. Whether you are carrying a baby or not…women we need to do this!
This world doesn’t share this message too often. Instead, the messages we receive are woven together and spliced together from many different vantage points. Some from media, some from men, some from women, some from everywhere. Our culture has an expectation of women, that in my opinion, seems unattainable, impossible, unhealthy…and yet, so many of us are striving to achieve it anyways. And there are all the different kinds of women all over the world who really are trying to do it all, or media accounts that portray such a truth.
We are told to be superwoman, to do it all…no matter what “it” is…losing our minds along the way from the conflict of believing that superwoman is attainable and must be – versus – what are bodies are telling us amidst the pursuit. We are constantly comparing our abilities and our value to other “superwomen.” Our hearts heavy with shame that we are dropping the plates of priorities we are suppose to be great at spinning.
Here is some truth for your soul today…nobody really expects you to be superwoman and your value is not contingent by how much you can accomplish. No sweet friend. You are super valuable in my eyes and in God’s eyes…and that is regardless of what you can do.
This is what I think…it is not until we see someone breaking free that we realize we can be free too. Let this moment I described for you of the woman carrying with child relaxing in a coffee shop be that example for you, that message of freedom!
Pretend I am standing in front of you and I extend my arms, reach over your shoulders and take that weight of everything you feel like you need to get done and then say,
Here give me that!”
I’ll give you a wink with a kind smile and then nod my head as if to tell you,
Go and be free!”
You may sigh and even hunch your back a little because you are not use to the feeling of weightlessness. But after I nod your way, you straighten up with a little stretch in your back, return a smile, then like a girl chasing butterflies in meadow of wildflowers in slow motion you turn to go and be free.
You know, you actually don’t need to pretend. I may not be standing in front of you…but God is there. And this is what He does say to your weary heart,
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Being set free from our weariness and burdens, does not mean we abandon our priorities and responsibilities. It is not a green light to disregard the important things or people in our lives. But it does mean, that we invite God to help us, and it does mean that we take time every week to rest, so that we can be rejuvenated. And it does mean that we savor small moments of slowness amidst our busy lives.
You can do it. You need to do it. Otherwise, you will melt down to a puddle of emotional mess, broken, more weary than ever, confronted by the lies you believed and the belief that you in some way failed. God does not want this for you. No sweet friend. He wants you to know that with Him,
all things are possible!” – Matthew 19:26
And that you truly are valuable, regardless of your abilities. You are valuable!
Now go and be free!
Keep reading, below was the real post I was going to share with you before the Holy Spirit got ahold of my keyboard!
I feel blessed to have a blog and an opportunity to share what is going on in my life, what I am experiencing, and what God is doing. For the last 5 years I have had my own little space to share my heart with the world, and in turn, I have found a beautiful community of women who are walking right along side me. Thanks for the adventure. Thanks for listening and for chiming in. Thanks for encouraging me and thank you for your prayers for me and my family. I cherish you!
I experience seasons where writing comes very easy. Words flow so fast I have trouble sharing all that I am thinking about. But then there are times that are more difficult for me. Now is one of those times. It is not because I lack a desire to write, rather it is because of the physical changes I am experiencing that are hindering my ability to do so.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but I have not been sharing very much lately. I have not been publishing as many articles, and sometimes I neglect to post on Facebook or other social media sites. In my “superwoman” expectation of myself, this is a plate I feel like I am fumbling.
Again, it is not because of a lack of desire. In fact, my desire is so strong that I get frustrated when I can’t publish anything. Here is the thing…I recently told you I found out we are expecting number 3! I am so excited and feel extremely blessed to be carrying another sweet baby. And I certainly cannot complain about my body during this first trimester, because I know there are some women who have a difficult time carrying…but the truth is that I haven’t been feeling very good. The last few weeks have been emotionally and physically draining. The first trimester for me includes nausea and a lot of overall not feeling well. I feel groggy. By 3pm I’m done. I want to go to bed and probably could knock out if I didn’t have a family to take care of. My energy is almost nonexistent.
I was chatting with a friend about it and I told her I don’t remember feeling this bad with the other two kids. She pointed out that I am expending more energy taking care of my two kids while my body is providing for the new baby, so sure I am going to feel a little more spent these days. I’m doing a lot. And I kind of don’t want to mention how bad I am slacking at home. If I make it to the laundry, the living room gets out of control. If I focus on the kitchen, the bathrooms get neglected. Around every corner, I feel inadequate and incapable of my normal priorities. Exhaustion has my mind running in circles, while my body can’t keep up.
As much as I love that our family is growing, it is revealing to me all the more that I am not capable of everything. Everything as in everything that I desire and aim to do. At least right now, it is too much. So, I have accepted to not blog as much as I want to, so that I have time to rest and help my body have the energy I need each day to focus on my main priorities.
Hopefully this season will pass quickly and in just a few weeks I can resume doing a few more things that are high priorities to me such as blogging and keeping up with social media. I can’t let it go. I know my words are morsels of encouragement for many, for me, for my heart. I can’t stop. And I can’t wait to resume. But I also am NOT SUPERWOMAN…and I’m okay with that.
I just wanted to give you an update of where I have been and when I will be coming back full force. That is until the baby comes and my head starts spinning again! These seasons will continue to ebb and flow! I am so grateful that you are here and that you are with me. It means the world to me.
