Last Wednesday my kiddo was wide awake from 1 a.m. to about 5 a.m.
As I rubbed his back I was certain he was drifting off to sleep. My eyes fluttered closed, but it didn’t last long.
Jackson jumped up, got in my face and said, when I get older I need to drive a dune buggy.
This folks, is how his ADHD brain works.
I couldn’t help but giggle, even though I was dying to go back to sleep.
A few hours later, I woke up relieved to have a day at home with nowhere to be. To be honest, I was feeling completely overwhelmed. Most likely because of the massive pile of laundry that had been sitting on the guest bedroom for days.
I felt pulled in a hundred different directions – we should be doing school work, I should be cleaning the house, I have errands that I need to run.
I got Jackson settled with breakfast and cartoons and escaped to my bedroom. I couldn’t catch my breath. My chest felt tight and my stomach was in knots.
The anxiety was thick and suffocating.
I felt tears prick my eyes and that’s when I remembered something I purchased a while back.
I went to by bedside table and pulled out the temporary tattoos I had seen on a friend’s Facebook page.
Have you heard of Armed With Truth?
It’s probably the closest thing I will ever have to a real tattoo because I’m a big, fat chicken.
I found the verse I was looking for and applied it to my forearm.
I repeated those words over and over and allowed myself to cry.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
I wiped my tears and wondered if it was too early to eat chips and salsa.
When I returned to the living room I found Jackson jumping on his mattress.
I lit pumpkin spice candles (because they always calm me) and cranked up some worship music.
I slipped off my shoes and jumped on the mattress with my kid.
We laughed and I felt relief.
My son beamed as we bounced.
When I was too out of breath to jump any more, I went to the kitchen and I ate chips and salsa. I didn’t care that it was only 10 a.m..
I ate chips and salsa and then I tackled the laundry.
I folded laundry and I repeated the words temporarily tattooed on my arm.
And suddenly I didn’t feel so overwhelmed.