Thankful for Patience

Little man is 7 months old today! I can’t believe how fast it’s gone. The number one thing that God has been teaching me since C joined us is patience.

I have loved being a mom, but patience is something that you can’t have too much of and admittedly, I’m a little short on.

Being a parent means lost sleep and frustration over why the perfect little being in your care wants nothing to do with sleep. Or why he won’t stop crying even though you have tried everything you know how to make him happy. In those first crazy weeks and months (and let’s be honest – even now), it is so easy to get frustrated. Frustrated that I have to wake up every few hours to feed him. Frustrated that I can’t leave him for more than an hour or two. Frustrated that he won’t let me set him down. Frustrated that he’s dead asleep in my arms but as soon as I lay him down he’s wide awake. Frustrated that I have no idea why he’s crying. I admit, I had and still have times when I just have to put him in his crib and walk away for a minute so I can cry, scream, or both.

I don’t want to be a mom who is always frustrated or stressed out so I belatedly asked God to give me more patience. I understand that this is a double edged sword. If I ask for patience, there have to be more opportunities for me to NEED patience. I am so thankful that I have a God that can help me through even the craziest days with my little guy. I am not perfect. Even today I had to laugh at the fact that C fought me to take a nap and provided me with all sorts of chances to practice patience.

I am so thankful that God has been providing for me. Ever since I made an effort to tell my frustrations to God and ask for His help, I have had much more peace and patience as a mom. I try to have an entirely new attitude when frustrations arise. I try to focus on the fact that having to constantly hold, feed, or rock him to sleep is just extra cuddle time. Soon enough he won’t want me to hold, feed, or rock him. I thank God for my attitude adjustment. It’s not always easy to focus on the positive when Bubba’s screaming in my ear, but I know that God will always give me the strength I need to be a good mom.

I always pictured being a mom as a great opportunity to teach a little one all about life. I love that I’m the one that’s learning how to be a better person.

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

I hope that one day I will be mature and complete as a mother and wife.