For When You Feel Desperate….(Part 1)

I remember the first time I felt desperate as a mom. Jackson was only a few weeks old, the colic-induced screams were in full force, and I locked myself in my bathroom and bawled my eyes out. I also contemplated divorce and running away.

I was desperate!

And let’s be honest, nobody prepares you for the desperate moments (and sometimes days) of motherhood. That’s why I was so excited when I discovered this book!

“I wish someone would have told me, tried to prepare me, for just how hard motherhood would be.” ~ Sarah Mae, author of Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe.

We mommies need to know that it’s normal to feel desperate every now and then! I’m probably not the only new mom who has locked herself in the bathroom and cried. As I read the words penned by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson, hope filled my often weary soul!

You and I are not the only mamas to loose our cool. We aren’t the only ones to question if changing diapers and wiping snotty noses is all our life consists of.

We are not alone in this thing called motherhood. But so often we feel like we are. We feel like nobody else understands.

“Going it alone is , without a doubt, one of the most common and effective strategies Satan uses to discourage moms,” Sally writes.

Sarah and Sally write about the need for young mother to have mentors – women who have survived those early years and who can encourage and guide new mom’s on their journey. Wise women who can offer them a hand and give them a break when those desperate moments strike.

I’m thankful to have my parents who are always willing to lend a hand with Jackson.I don’t know how many nights they stayed up with him so John and I could sleep. Just a few weeks ago, they kept him for a week so I could recover from surgery.

I cherish the wisdom my mom has. She has a lot considering she watched kids in her home for more than 20 years. (I also can’t thank her enough for breaking Jackson of his pacifier at night! Can I send him to Texas when it’s time to potty train?)

While I am thankful for my mon, there’s one downside. She’s in Texas. I’m in Oklahoma. I would give anything to have the kind of mentor described in the book in the town where I live. Do you have a mentor who has encouraged you as a young mother? If not, pray that God will bring one into your life.

As you wait for God to answer your prayer, be encouraged by Sally’s words:

“When we follow the voice of God and rest in His ability to sustain us as mothers, we will find a true and lasting peace.”

God will sustain you, sweet friend! Even when you feel like you are at the end of your rope and you’re about to pull your hair out, His grace is enough.

My sister-in-law is about the have her first baby, and even though she doesn’t live in the same state, I hope to encourage her as she adjusts to motherhood. I haven’t exactly sugar-coated this mommy-thing because it’s hard and there will definitely be days when she feels desperate. But she needs to know that she’s not the first or the last mommy to feel this way.

Is there a young mom you can encourage? What advice would you give a first-time mom?

****Join me next Monday as I share more from the book Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe.