I have told my friend Adrienne for years that I never win anything. That statement was proved wrong when I won a door prize at the Minister's Wives Retreat this year. And then it was proved wrong again when I actually won something online about a week ago. I adore this little business called Shop SFT because they make the CUTEST Louisiana themed t-shirts! I only have one of them, but I love following them on social media and seeing what's new. Well, last week they had an online contest for moms for this coffee mug:
I normally wouldn't have wanted this mug, but that particular morning, I had slung maple syrup all over the kitchen, already gotten a call from the school about one kid before 9:00 a.m., and I was suffering from an earache. So when they asked for your best "Mama Tried" moments, I had one at hand. The fact that I won the contest thrilled me to no end! And then, it got me thinking.
Thankfulness has been a theme I've tried to push with myself and my family all this year. I had grand intentions of making some sort of "gratitude journal" that could be kept in the kitchen so we all could write in it. That didn't happen. I had been eyeing a gratitude jar that was on a "Favorite Things" list last year for Christmas, but I just can't justify paying $45 for a jar with "gratitude" in glittery letters stuck on the side of it. I'm pretty sure I could make it for less, but yet I haven't.
While shopping one day at Target recently, I found this gratitude tree.
I just knew my family would be all about this and would add to it as the fall season progressed, but as you can see, it's the day before Thanksgiving and it's still half blank. Not that my people aren't thankful. It's just that they don't think to write their thankful thoughts on the tree.
Last week, I blew it big time as a mom and a wife. I mean big time. And on more than one occasion. It was uncharacteristic of me, but my anxiety was working overtime, I was in pain from a back injury, and it all got the best of me. I tried. I really, really did. But I got it wrong. It was a "mama tried and failed" situation.
Since that time, I cannot tell you how many people God has put in my path that have told me I am doing a good job. And not just with Evan. With Zach, too. In no way have I asked them to tell me that. But God knew I needed it. I realize now that God can take my meager "tries" and do more than I could ask or imagine with it if I surrender it to Him. In His mercy, He is ready to forgive and forget when I get it wrong. And His love is not a love I can lose. It is a love that gave everything it had so I could be free. I don't have to "try" to earn that love. Jesus gave His life so I could have it without "trying." That's worth all the thanksgiving I have in me.
So I will keep trying. And all you mamas out there, you do the same.
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| (Photo cred: @shopsft Instagram) |
I normally wouldn't have wanted this mug, but that particular morning, I had slung maple syrup all over the kitchen, already gotten a call from the school about one kid before 9:00 a.m., and I was suffering from an earache. So when they asked for your best "Mama Tried" moments, I had one at hand. The fact that I won the contest thrilled me to no end! And then, it got me thinking.
Thankfulness has been a theme I've tried to push with myself and my family all this year. I had grand intentions of making some sort of "gratitude journal" that could be kept in the kitchen so we all could write in it. That didn't happen. I had been eyeing a gratitude jar that was on a "Favorite Things" list last year for Christmas, but I just can't justify paying $45 for a jar with "gratitude" in glittery letters stuck on the side of it. I'm pretty sure I could make it for less, but yet I haven't.
While shopping one day at Target recently, I found this gratitude tree.
I just knew my family would be all about this and would add to it as the fall season progressed, but as you can see, it's the day before Thanksgiving and it's still half blank. Not that my people aren't thankful. It's just that they don't think to write their thankful thoughts on the tree.
Last week, I blew it big time as a mom and a wife. I mean big time. And on more than one occasion. It was uncharacteristic of me, but my anxiety was working overtime, I was in pain from a back injury, and it all got the best of me. I tried. I really, really did. But I got it wrong. It was a "mama tried and failed" situation.
Since that time, I cannot tell you how many people God has put in my path that have told me I am doing a good job. And not just with Evan. With Zach, too. In no way have I asked them to tell me that. But God knew I needed it. I realize now that God can take my meager "tries" and do more than I could ask or imagine with it if I surrender it to Him. In His mercy, He is ready to forgive and forget when I get it wrong. And His love is not a love I can lose. It is a love that gave everything it had so I could be free. I don't have to "try" to earn that love. Jesus gave His life so I could have it without "trying." That's worth all the thanksgiving I have in me.
So I will keep trying. And all you mamas out there, you do the same.
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