Overwhelmed by the Realities of Motherhood

Being a mother is one of life’s greatest blessings. The joy of carrying children in our wombs, birthing those children, and then watching them blossom is incredible. It is a privilege that I cherish and do not take lightly because I realize that not every woman who is a mother has all of her children living and not every woman who desires to be a mother has been afforded the opportunity. My heart goes out to those women, and I pray that this post is not insensitive to your pain. My goal for this post is to highlight the realness of motherhood and to encourage those who are currently living through their own motherhood journey.

Seasons of Motherhood

I am 10 years into my motherhood journey. During those 10 years, I’ve gone through different seasons of being a mom:

• I’ve been a full-time working-outside-of-the-home mom (both as a single and a married woman).
• I’ve been a very part-time (8 hours/week) work-at-home mom, while homeschooling two older children, caring for an infant, and carrying a baby in my womb.
• I’ve been a full-time stay-at-home mom, while homeschooling two older children and caring for a toddler and an infant.
• And now I’m a full-time stay-at-home mom, while homeschooling two older kids, chasing/somewhat teaching two toddlers, and blogging whenever I catch a moment in between!

One thing has been true throughout each season…they all have come with excitement and challenges. I’m sure you can identify, too, when you think about the seasons of your own motherhood journey. In each one of those seasons, while I have enjoyed the blessing of children and celebrated the growth and well-being of our family, I have experienced overwhelming weariness. I cannot think of any other role that affords us so many joyous moments yet challenges us to our core.

The Joys of Motherhood

We (moms) are notorious for capturing (or having someone else capture) those special moments that make our hearts explode with joy…you know, like the moments after our little ones are born, each month or year as they grow older, their first smile, their first word, their first steps, their first tooth, their first and last days of school, and every other memorable moment (like awards ceremonies, obtaining a driver’s license, prom, graduation, wedding, etc.). Then there are those “just because” moments that you don’t want to forget because they warm your heart so much, like when you see them sleeping peacefully or playing with a toy or just looking cute in an outfit. It is so fun to watch their personalities blossom and to learn their mannerisms.

There are numerous extraordinary moments we have to celebrate as moms. I relish those moments when my baby girl stares into my eyes in such a way that I know she feels secure and loves me unconditionally; those moments when my little big boy comes up and hugs my knees and says, “Thank you, Mommy” with the sweetest smile; those moments when my big girls tell me that I’m the best mom in the world and then offer to help me because they see I’m tired. Moments like these make us get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and there seems to be an indescribable joy within that cannot be penetrated.

Motherhood on the REAL

But not every day and every moment are so joyous. In all honesty, I’ve cried A LOT (almost daily) on this motherhood journey. Kids are a lot to manage, whether you have one, two, four, or twenty! The truth is that being a mom is HARD!!! It is a very demanding responsibility that often leaves us exhausted and feeling as if we are not our own person. Everything we do is centered around the needs and well-being of our children.

Being a mom is a 24/7 job. When I think about my own experiences, someone is always in need of my attention, whether it’s wanting to be held, needing a diaper change or food, wanting me to watch them do something, needing to talk, needing extra love and care for boo-boos, or not wanting to go to sleep at night. From being caregiver, school teacher, lunchroom lady, nurse, counselor, comforter, and so much more, the job is never done!

It amazes me the extreme of emotions I can feel in a day (or let alone in a moment…ha!). In one moment, I can feel complete joy because we are all together; everyone is happy; they are playing or partaking in their interests, being silly, enjoying each other, and looking back at me with smiles on their faces (looking to make sure I see them while anticipating my smile and cheers). In another moment, I’m COMPLETELY undone, unglued, and utterly frustrated from the constant whining, loud cries, nonstop calling of my name, toddler shenanigans, continuous need of my attention and approval, and relentless demand for my help. On those days, I press and look forward to bedtime so that I can relax, quiet my mind, and breathe.

Some days I feel like superwoman, and other days I feel defeated and exhausted in every way (mentally, physically, socially, emotionally, etc.). Sometimes I feel like I’m going to burst from exhaustion and frustration. Many days I feel forgotten…like they forget I’m a real person…ONE person, who has limits, who gets tired, who needs rest, and who has her own goals and dreams. It feels like I’m expected to be all things to everyone, all while maintaining my sanity and pursuing the path God has for me.

My Struggles with Motherhood

I hope this post does not make me appear ungrateful for my little blessings. I cannot express enough how grateful I am to be a mom and to be able to stay home with my children every day. It makes my heart so glad. However, in all honesty, there are a few things I constantly struggle with:

• I struggle with finding contentment in motherhood, and I often find myself asking God to help me have joy in taking care of my family.
• I struggle with knowing how to take care of myself while taking care of my family.
• I struggle to balance motherhood with everything else I’m called to do like being a wife, managing our home, building and maintaining a blog, etc.

These are the things that cause me to become overwhelmed in my motherhood journey, and I realize that in order to thrive on this journey, these are the things that I have to lay at the feet of Jesus.

What I Learned From Jesus

After coming to the end of my rope a few months ago, I literally dropped to the floor with tears pouring down my face and cried out to God for help. I was weary, give out, and overwhelmed from all of the demands and expectations of being a mom. I was ready to pack up my bags and go on a mini-vacation (literally)! After I poured out my frustrations to the Lord, I sat still and allowed my heart to open up to Him. In that moment, He gave me four scriptures that helped me to know 1) He heard me, 2) He saw me, and 3) He was with me and wanted to help me. Keep reading to find out more about these scriptures.

Not long after that, I came across the story in Matthew 14:13-23 where Jesus was trying to get away to be alone after hearing about the beheading of John the Baptist. It caught my attention because that’s exactly what I had been trying to do…be alone for a little while! Well at the end of verse 13 (CSB), it says that “When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.” Now doesn’t that sound like children? When you’re trying to get away for a MINUTE of peace, they follow you!

I just knew that Jesus was going to send them away or go deep into hiding, but He did not. Verse 14 says that “When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.” Not only did He heal their sick, but He also fed them (verses 15-21). Then, after He met their needs, He had the disciples to leave, He sent away the crowds, and THEN He went off by Himself to pray (verses 22-23).

As I reflected on these verses, I sat in amazement. There I was, with the same need Jesus had. Jesus, who was FULLY God and FULLY human, showed me that He knows what it’s like to need to get away to be alone and not be able to. I had to be willing to learn from Him.

I’m not going to lie…the exact order of how it went down is not the answer I was looking for. I was hoping He’d let me get the rest first and THEN I could meet the needs of my family, but if I wanted the results Jesus got (uninterrupted time alone), I had to be willing to do what Jesus did….1) see my kids when they are following me, pulling at me, and relying on me; 2) have compassion on them by taking time to recognize their needs; and 3) actually meet their needs. Then, when the needs are met, I’m free to “send them away” to play or have quiet time while I take a moment to breathe.

What About You?

Can you relate to the struggles and frustrations I’ve expressed from the demands of motherhood? As you can see, you’re not alone in how you feel. I’m learning that it’s all in my perspective. Think about this: We GET to be our children’s mom. We GET to be a part of shaping the lives of some amazing little people! We GET to partner with God to raise children who bear His image. What an awesome privilege that I too often forget.

Taking into account the things I’ve learned and shared above, will you join me in resetting your focus? My life verse has become Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB), which tells us to “…run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” (Read the entirety of the verses by clicking on the aforementioned verse reference.)

Will it be easy? NO!

Will there be times when you want to give up? ABSOLUTELY!

But WE DON’T HAVE TO “MOTHER” ALONE! What a friend we have in Jesus! He hears us. He sees us, and He’s here to help us! Remember those four scriptures the Lord gave me above? Well, they blessed me so much that He led me to create a devotional for other women experiencing overwhelming weariness. If you haven’t already, I would like to invite you to experience the journey to overcoming weariness through the devotional by clicking on this link: 4 Keys to Overcoming Weariness.

Also, please visit my Resources page and look for the following additional FREE resources to encourage you on your motherhood journey. Complete the respective forms and click “Download” to access each resource.

1. Scriptures of Encouragement for Moms – a printable of scriptures (shown in the KJV and CSB versions) to encourage you on your motherhood journey
2. A Prayer for Weary Moms – a printable prayer for moms who feel weary from the overwhelming realities of motherhood
3. Hebrews 12:1-2 Printable Scripture – a beautiful printable of Hebrews 12:1B-2A for you to frame and hang on a wall or place on your desk
4. Eyes on Jesus Phone Wallpaper – a beautiful graphic for your phone’s lock screen to serve as an everyday reminder to keep your eyes on Jesus. 

I hope these resources are a tremendous help to you as you walk through your own motherhood journey. There’s no way we can endure without keeping our eyes on Jesus!

If you are a seasoned mom who’s further along in your motherhood journey, would you please leave a comment below with some wisdom and encouraging words to help us moms who still have children in our homes? We value your insight and know there is much to learn from you!

Hang in there, mamas! We’re in this together! We will not fail! God is with us!

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