Guest Post | Give Yourself Grace for the Day

My husband walked inside to the alluring smell of pan-seared chicken, vegetables, jambalaya and rolls. I admit, I had to take a moment to step back, give a complete and sassy neck-roll before snapping my fingers and saying, “You go girl!” After all, my entire day was spent washing the massive pile of laundry, chasing, playing, instructing and dancing with our three small children, who are all under five years old, while simultaneously cleaning the house. It was an eventful day. But it was an unusual day. When he walked in, I had a huge Donna Reed type of smile on my face and was ready to serve dinner. This day, was an incredible day. However, it does not happen everyday!

Most days when my husband comes home, my hair is in a tangled mess, at least one kid is whining about a toy they’d rather not share, and I'm scrambling around the kitchen clueless about what to cook for dinner. Some day’s it’s clear that I’ve had a stressful day and would rather run out of the house as soon as he walks in. I’m sure I’m not the only mom who feels this way.

The responsibilities that come along with motherhood, whether you’re a working mom or not, can often make us feel overwhelmed, tired and fried. I know I do. However most nights, I used to beat myself up about not having that rare happy ending. Sometimes I was just too exhausted to cook a full five-coarse meal. Sometimes I was too overwhelmed after chasing kids and had absolutely no energy left to clean up the kitchen or vacuum before bed.

But there is one thing that God constantly reminds me of. And it’s that he doesn’t require me to be a perfect woman. That’s a title the world constantly gives to us and that we willfully pressure ourselves with. We have to have it all together, and look good doing it all. Maybe in a perfect world, that’s possible. But in the real world, not probable. Instead of trying to fit the mode to be a perfect woman, we should be gracious with ourselves when we face every day challenges of life. I believe God would rather us not be so hard on ourselves, even in the midst of this crazy sometimes chaotic busy world.


My day is often spent this way:

1.    Wiping spills
2.    Changing dirty diapers
3.    Potty-training
4.    “Son, no yelling.”
5.    “Daughter, stop running.”
6.    “Listen and be obedient!”
7.    “Gosh, what’s for dinner?”
8.    “Don’t step on your sister!”

And sometimes, all of the above happen simultaneously and with no room for a deep breath in-between! But, instead of succumbing to the pressure that motherhood and wifehood can sometimes bring, I had to pray and ask God to show me how to give myself grace for the days when I need it most-- the days when I don’t get it right and struggle with the pressure of it all.

God taught me a lot about not feeling so guilty or being so hard on myself if I don’t get the chance to finish laundry, or if I forget to wipe my daughter’s face after she eats strawberries. I had to learn it’s okay that I’m not perfect, as long as I give myself grace for the day. Here are a few things I like to consider, in my attempt to be gracious with myself.

1.    Life has challenges and is busy, but God is still good.
2.    I should seek God’s joy, in the midst of my chaos.
3.    Giving thanks should be continual and keeps things in their perspective.
4.    God still loves me, in spite of my mess.

Today, I’d like to encourage you to do the same thing. Maybe you’re a busy mom, a working mom or a woman on her own unique journey. Wherever you are, I encourage you to give yourself grace-- not just for one day, but every day. Ever morning, the Lord gives us new opportunities to surrender it all to him and I encourage you to do just that. Take the day and give yourself grace!


 


Kennisha Hill is a blogger for MomLife Today, a ministry division of Family Life, a novelist and an independent author of inspirational books. She also writes at her blog, "A Cup of Grace for Women" at www.kennishahill.com. She is happily married and is a mom to three beautiful children!