Mom Heart Moments #308

I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

ONE THING I THINK MANY MOMS find difficult is the fact that every yes is by definition also a no. A yes to time watching somersaults in the backyard is a no to a phone call, a glance through a magazine, or a bit of alone time. A yes to asking friends over for a time of encouragement is a no to the free time you might have spent on yourself, rather than cleaning the bathroom, organizing your notes for the evening, or baking cookies to share. Yes to the car pool means no to sleeping in; yes to playing during bath time means no to your favorite television show . . . and on and on it goes.

As moms, what we really need is long-range vision! While the decision to draw your circle of direct influence a little smaller than many around you choose to draw theirs might appear to minimize who you are, the truth lies elsewhere. Think about a drop of food coloring splashed into a cup of water. The more water, the more diluted the color. And so it is with each one of us. When we spread ourselves thin, leaving no time for snuggles and back rubs, Bible study and reading deeply, family vacations and Saturday afternoons at the park, our influence becomes diluted.

So, may I suggest something, mama? Feel free to say lots of yeses to your littles, and lots of nos to others. Limit yourself in this season of mothering young ones, and watch your influence grow where it’s most important.

I have never heard a woman say, “I wish I would have worked more hours while my children were young” or “I wish I would have read more magazines and watched fewer somersaults.” Rather, the longing is for time long slipped away, somersaults tumbled and blown away like so many autumn leaves.

What might you need to say no to, in order to say some better yeses?