I am constantly riding my kids about whining, and lately I’ve been looking a little bit closer at myself.
The positive.
In short, my own whining and complaining have been bugging me about myself. It comes and goes – depending on how right I am… and how wrong others are.
Either way, I am always right and they are always wrong.
I went for a run this morning. Even though I neglect my relationship with my Lord and Savior – He still talks to me. Most girlfriends aren’t so understanding about random communication.
God really does have that whole “grace” thing down. It’s the people that fog up the reality of who He is.
Today God showed me why I can be thankful. Specifically, thankful for the struggles I had as a brand-new mom – distance from my family, tough issues with nursing, my own emotional battles over breast or bottle, and a baby that didn’t sleep through the night for nearly his first entire year. There’s other stuff too, but you get the idea…
This morning, my mind wandered back to the day my son had his first seizures. That was one of the least thankful days of my life. One of the 2 times I remember being thankful that day was when I realized my son was not lying blue-faced/dead on the floor because he couldn’t breathe, but because he was in the postictal drowsiness state where breathing is very, very shallow. I learned he was breathing only because I hit his head on the door on my way out to meet the ambulance and he managed to eek out a whimper. I felt bad, but I was so relieved. I was thankful a second time that day when the cat scan came back clear – after a second ambulance ride to the ER in one day.
Why am I thankful to have gone through that? Well, friends who know the story of my son and his seizures – he has been off his meds nearly 9 months now! There have been no indications that there is any seizure activity! We only went through 2 other medications before we found the one that worked, and after almost 4 years of medication – he is free!
What is there to be thankful about having a rocky start to motherhood? Sisterhood. I am now in a position to understand, encourage and share ideas I’ve already experimented with. Or just cry.
I am thankful for the struggles of home building – because there is a home for us.
I am thankful for conflict to struggle though in relationships, it means there are people I love who love me too.
I am thankful for the mess. It means the kids have things to play with.
I am thankful for driving around a bunch, it means we have a car and options.
I am even thankful for this little house I am so eager to leave. It is the home I brought all 3 babies home to. Plus, there are few homes where a mother can take a shower in the master bathroom and check on her kids in the living room by pulling back the shower curtain!
Well, that’s a start 🙂
