comfort

Happy Mother’s Day, SuperStepmom

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This morning I woke up to my kids jumping into my bed.  They woke up at 6:00 am (why can’t they wake up this early on a school day?).  They were excited for Mother’s Day of course.   And my heart delighted with my kids, my husband and I all snuggling in bed.  Precious moments.

And then the day unfolded.  “Stop poking your sister in the eye.”  “Stop taking your brother’s toys.”  “Please stop making that (annoying) noise.”  “For the fifth time, go put on shoes for church.”  “Mom, she poured juice all over the Mother’s Day presents I was going to give you!”  Tears, tantrums, time-outs.  All before 8:30 am.  I said to my husband, “Maybe next year on Mother’s Day I should spend the day alone, a nice quiet day to myself.”  To which he replied (with a smile in his eyes):  “I think Mother’s Day means you are supposed to spend the whole day with your kids.”

And then I remembered:  this is what I had always prayed for.  A godly husband and a house full of kids.  Warts and all.  Roller coaster ride that it is.

Being a mom calls for bravery.  Being a stepmom calls for some serious super powers.

These days my step kids are all young adults and out of the house.   But I remember those days when Mother’s Day wasn’t so easy and fun-loving.  I remember those daily struggles as a Stepmom.  Parenting someone else’s kids who never asked for this situation, who never asked for two houses, two set of rules, four parents, and gobs of half-sibs and step-siblings.  They could be prickly, and probably had every right to be.

Thankfully we can rely on Him for direction.

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)  “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)  “So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Today I am thankful that God tells us to be brave and strong and to trust Him.  Mothers and stepmoms sure need that encouragement!  He works all things for good (even when we cannot see His plan quiet yet).  (Romans 8:28)

What are you thankful for, you super hero Stepmom?

 

 

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Can This Day Just End Please?

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Ever have one of those days you wish would just end?  One of those days where you find yourself saying “can I get a do-over?” or “Calgon take me away?”   Today was one of those days for me.

Pink eye is going around my kids’ school and guess who got it…me!  And guess who had to go to business meetings with those pink scary looking eyes?  Yep, me.  (Picture people shaking my hands while cringing…that kind of thing).  Many people saw Bob Costas cover the Olympics on national TV recently while he had pink eye.  People have commented on how he handled that with grace and humor.  I will admit to sitting in business meetings this week praying “Dear God please give me the grace, humor and strength of Bob Costas because right now I just want to hide under a rock. Please God, help me be more like Bob Costas.”

As if it wasn’t bad enough, on my plane ride home while getting comfortable in my aisle seat, a man sat in the middle seat next to me. This man was a tall man, well over 6 feet tall. This was not going to be comfortable for him or us (sardines that we were, all packed in our aisle).  And then he opened his can of tobacco chew. Clearly he was planning to chew (and spit) during the flight.  Big chew/spit bottle in hand.  It was a clear plastic bottle so I could see all of that lovely spit and chew.  When we got up in the air he opened his spit bottle to spit and wouldn’t you know it, due to the air pressure changes, the bottle of tobacco and his spit sprayed all over me.  Yep, all over my face, hair, shirt, chair, and even in my food.  I was covered in chunks of his tobacco and his spit.

This is when I just wanted the day to end.  A do-over please.  Trust me, I realized that in the grand scheme of things this wasn’t major or tragic, but nevertheless I wanted this bummer of a day to end.   Me and my pink eyes and my tobacco crusted chest, we wanted an end to this day and new fresh start.

So today I am thankful that in stressful situations (big and small), during life’s valleys and heartaches, that God offers us rest.  Under His wings we can find peace and comfort that only He can offer.

Today I reflect on Psalm 91:4  “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

What are you thankful for?