The Mom...unveiled

The Mom...unveiled

I have been on both sides of motherhood...the working mom & the stay-at-home mom. I have huge respect for both kinds of moms. It takes a lot to turn your back away from your pride and joy and head to work, and it takes a lot to stay home and pick up the constant whirlwind of toys, clothes, dishes, etc. that your darling(s) leave behind.

There are lots of websites dedicated to how to make the working mom and the stay-at-home mom more efficient. How to keep your chores and laundry caught up while working 40 hours a week. How to meal plan like a boss. How to plan lessons to begin teaching your preschooler at home. These are great resources...

BUT...

Nobody tells you how to beat the loneliness of motherhood.

Lonely isn't a word that you might use to describe being a person who is constantly surrounded by little bodies. But there is a specific loneliness that crept in on me that I have only felt when I was a mom. Sure I have felt lonely before...flashback to middle school! New kid in school ain't got nothing on being a mom.

Let me see if you can relate.

Working mama: You walk into work and are surrounded by happy faces and challenging tasks where you are constantly engaged in activity or conversation...but your child isn't there. Even in the middle of chaos, something isn't quite right knowing that your child is in someone else's care. You might have the best baby sitter in the world, and they can be fully competent...but your child isn't with you, so loneliness creeps in.

SAH mama: All day long, little bodies are begging you for something. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I need a change, I want to watch a movie, Let's play a game, I'm sick, Let's go outside... The demands are never ending. You are never alone. Not even in the bathroom. But something isn't quite right. There are needs for adult conversation. Needs for a pat-on-the-back. Needs for affirmation that someone else somewhere understands what you are going through.

There is NOTHING that is easy about being a mom, except for loving your children (and I've been told that gets harder in the teen years and beyond!). There is no amount of parenting classes that could prepare you for motherhood and nothing that could prepare your nerves for the beating they are enduring on a daily basis.

Loneliness is a tool from Satan. As a child of God, scripture promises that we are never alone.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. from Matthew 28:20


Feeling alone is a lie whispered straight into our ears. We have power and strength to overcome this through our Savior...but the real question is HOW?

How do you overcome anything when you feel so beat down?
How do you move from feeling alone to feeling surrounded by love and affirmation?

I heard a preacher this week speak on discouragement and he made a good point:
"It's ok to feel this way...It's not ok to stay feeling this way."

So how do you beat loneliness? I'm learning every day and planning (with God's direction) on sharing what has helped me. I am in no way a pro, and in fact, I may just be writing these points to myself...

Mama: Be encouraged. You are not alone. 

And if you're not feeling lonely, whisper a prayer of thanks right now. Our struggles are all different. Maybe mine can help you with yours.