I am going to start doing this weekly, some wisdom will be serious and deep, others will be light-hearted and goofy (remember my new years resolution?!). I want to look back years from now and see what my heart was like in the early mommy years and to encourage my future self in this journey of motherhood.
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| {How could this precious wheat-thin addict be anything but an angel? Come over to my house when mommy takes the wheat thin box away and you'll find out!! } |
So, seeing the positive in the negative: this is a skill I am slowly growing in. It is so hard for us
to see past the here and now when our situations are negative. Being a mom
brings a lot of heartache, pain, uncomfortable situations and frustration… but
the key to surviving is seeing the positive in those negatives. Here are some
negatives that I turned around into positives in order to survive pre-mommyhood
and mommyhood:
Negative: Morning sickness- I threw up every day, many times
a day from week 6 to week 11 with Maddie.
Positive: The reassurance that when there are not a whole lot of other obvious signs, every twinge of nausea is your little one reminding you they are growing strong and healthy!
Positive: The reassurance that when there are not a whole lot of other obvious signs, every twinge of nausea is your little one reminding you they are growing strong and healthy!
Negative: Uncomfortableness of the 3rd trimester:
swelling, back-ache, sleepless nights, exhaustion
Positive: You are almost there! You have carried a baby almost all the way, be thankful for the way your body was magnificently created.
Positive: You are almost there! You have carried a baby almost all the way, be thankful for the way your body was magnificently created.
Negative: Waking up at all hours of the night to breastfeed
and consol a screaming newborn
Positive: You get to do a job for your little one that no one else can and those late night cuddles are critical bonding opportunities, plus they are only little for so long and then they don’t need you for nutrition and late night cuddles are few and far between.
Positive: You get to do a job for your little one that no one else can and those late night cuddles are critical bonding opportunities, plus they are only little for so long and then they don’t need you for nutrition and late night cuddles are few and far between.
Negative: Witnessing blatant disobedience in my sweet “sinless”
17 month old
Positive: I am thankful for the opportunity to train up Maddie, to practice patience and to live out the Gospel to MK by showing her forgiveness and unconditional love.
Positive: I am thankful for the opportunity to train up Maddie, to practice patience and to live out the Gospel to MK by showing her forgiveness and unconditional love.
Sometimes it’s so hard to see the positives in our
situations. Is there a positive in my sweet friend Randi having stage 2 breast
cancer at 27? I’ll let you hear it from her : www.treasuresnheaven.blogspot.com
I am learning slowly that even though we can’t always see a positive, we will one day. I can rest confidently in the fact that my Savior is faithful to redeem everything in His perfect way, not always mine! I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles with the Lord at times when His way doesn’t seem to line up with ours. I want a toddler who doesn’t whine, takes perfect naps, never gets sick. I want my children two years apart, preferably two girls and for them to be best friends. Those things are not bad things to desire, but what if God could teach us more about our own depravity and show us more of His grace and faithfulness if our every desire wasn’t always met exactly in our timing and matching our every expectation. I am so thankful for the sanctifying process of motherhood. I love that God is never finished refining me to be more like His Son and that He uses a precious 17 month old to do it!
I am learning slowly that even though we can’t always see a positive, we will one day. I can rest confidently in the fact that my Savior is faithful to redeem everything in His perfect way, not always mine! I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles with the Lord at times when His way doesn’t seem to line up with ours. I want a toddler who doesn’t whine, takes perfect naps, never gets sick. I want my children two years apart, preferably two girls and for them to be best friends. Those things are not bad things to desire, but what if God could teach us more about our own depravity and show us more of His grace and faithfulness if our every desire wasn’t always met exactly in our timing and matching our every expectation. I am so thankful for the sanctifying process of motherhood. I love that God is never finished refining me to be more like His Son and that He uses a precious 17 month old to do it!
How are you turning negatives into positives today?
Love,
The Vogs
I love your attitude! Sanctifying indeed! Today I've realized multiple times how selfish I am. Ugh. Sometimes sanctification stings.
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