The Highs and Lows of Motherhood

Tonight we will talk about how God is with us in the highs and lows of motherhood, mama.

Transcript

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It's amazing how one day can hold both soaring highs and deep lows in our motherhood. We're going to talk about that tonight on Midlight Mamas. My day held this today. It had some really great highs and some deep lows. And it's amazing to me how they can coexist even in the same hour sometimes. Think about it. The joy of a baby's smile can sit right next to exhaustion and loneliness, or even feeling like we're failing. But God is present in both. He doesn't require us to only share the polished parts, naming the full range of the experience as part of walking in truth and finding real comfort from the Lord, because in our honesty, God meets us there. There's no sense in pretending. God knows our hearts. So, mamas, if you can feel both the soaring highs and the deep lows in the same hour, you're not alone. One minute we can feel overwhelmed by love, and the next be crying on the bathroom floor. And both are real, and both of those really do matter to God. Many of us feel pressures to only post the blessed version of our lives on social media. And I think it's important to remember that the hard moments don't disqualify you or mean that you're ungrateful. It just means that moment is hard. But you know what, Mama? I think the important thing to remember here is that God meets us in both of those places. When our hearts are soaring and there's just goodness flowing out, God is there. And when we are sitting and crying on the bathroom floor, God is there. He rejoices with us in the highs, and he sits with us in the lows, and neither of them are wasted. Because God is going to use both. When we only talk about the highs, other mamas feel alone in their lows. I think that honesty creates connection. So I'll share a story with you from my life today. It was hot in the Pacific Northwest today, and we were out and about doing errands, and I had a little one that was very thirsty and had forgotten their water bottle. And we were nearby to a good friend's house. So I came into her house to get a water for this little one. And when I walked in, her and my other sweet friend were visiting, and I got to see both of their smiles, and it made my day. I got to hug my friend's pregnant belly and hug my other friend while she held her baby, and we just got to rejoice in this very quick moment of exchange for a glass of water, and it was precious. And then you fast forward to tonight, and I'm tired, and it's the end of the day, and my children were pure chaos, and they were running around like hootin' nannies, they were yelling, they were playing, then that turned to hard play that got feelings hurt, and I was just feeling very, very exhausted of the busyness. And I wasn't handling it inside the best. I was like, come on, guys, you know better than this. But you know what? I was tempted to feel really guilty about not wanting to be in the chaos, and then I remembered, God is with me in these feelings. He knows my heart, he knows my concerns, and he is with me whether I am in this great moment of seeing my sweet friends and having a moment, or whether I am dealing with the chaos, the Lord is with me, and I am not alone, and he can handle all my feelings, because he is with me in the highs and the lows of this day. Psalm thirty and verse five says, Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the mourning. Because, Mamas, you see, both the weeping and the joy are a part of the story. And then Ecclesiastes three, verse one and four say, For everything there is a season, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. You see, motherhood contains all of these seasons, and sometimes they overlap. Psalm 3418 says, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. You see, Mama, he is especially near in the low places. And then 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3 through 4 says, God is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction. You see, our lows become a place where we can later offer real comfort to other mammas. I think that's a beautiful thing that God would use it like that. And then last verse, Philippians 4, 12 through 13 says, I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need, and I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And remember, Paul was writing from prison when he wrote this, and he had experienced both extremes of life, times of having almost nothing, and times of having way more than enough, and he says that he has learned the secret of being content in both. And the secret is not positive thinking or self-discipline or toughing it out. The secret is Christ. You see, in verse 13, we find the key, and it says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. This does not mean that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, because in context it means I can endure and remain content in every situation, whether I have plenty or I'm going without, because it's Christ that's going to give me the strength for it. So in your highs, he is there, and in your lows, he is there. And we know through this section where Paul talks about this, that he knew real lack and he knew hunger and hardship, but he knew the way to abound in all seasons, whether high or low, was Christ, because it said in any and every circumstance, contentment isn't tied to the situation. It is possible in both the high and the low. And it was something he learned. He didn't know it automatically. It is something we learn by going through it. So the power source is Jesus. It's not our own willpower. You see, motherhood is full of plenty and need, sometimes in the same hour or at least in the same day. One hour you feel that joy of your baby's weight on your chest, and the next you feel completely emptied out, exhausted, and unseen. Paul's words give permission for both experiences and point to the same source of strength for both. And it's Christ Himself. You don't have to pretend the lows aren't hard, and you don't have to feel guilty for the highs. In every part of it, Jesus can strengthen you to keep going with a settled heart. So tonight, mamas, I want us to remember that, and I want to pray over you tonight. Lord Jesus, I thank you for these mamas. God, I pray you would bless them and keep them, God. I pray that they would know that you are with them in the highs and the lows, and that you're rejoicing with them, and that you are weeping with them. God, that you are a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and you can be trusted. Thank you for that, God. In your name we pray. Amen. Tonight, Mamas, I also want to leave you with a blessing from Numbers 6, 24 through 26. May the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you and give you peace. Amen. Until next time, mamas, remember where your strength comes from in both the highs and the lows, and we'll talk again soon. Take care, mamas.