To the Mom Who Is Barely Hanging on

I drove past you in the dusky light this evening. You looked like you were barely hanging on.

With an infant strapped to your chest, the handle of a stroller in your left hand, and the leash of your small and energetic dog nearly yanking your right shoulder out of the socket, your face said it all.

Your face told me that you’re barely hanging on.

I wonder if you were stuck in the house all day.

Maybe the walls started closing in, and you grew weary from changing diapers and cleaning up the same fifteen toys a dozen times.

You were barely hanging on, and you needed some fresh air, even if it required work to get there.

Barely Hanging on

Most likely, you can’t remember the last time you had a night out or ate with both hands in your very own kitchen. For that matter, you probably can’t recall the last time you actually sat down to enjoy a meal.

Perhaps you sometimes wonder if you and your husband live on two entirely different planets.

The most obvious needs like hungry toddlers, wailing newborns, and poopy diapers seem to completely elude his attention. (Oh friend, if this is you, join me right here for more encouragement.)

In addition to living in different worlds, he still holds onto pieces of his life that you lost years ago. He has time for Saturday morning golf, Friday afternoon happy hour, and career development seminars. He has time for football games and haircuts and morning workouts at the gym.

Meanwhile, you’ve laid down every hobby and every personal passion for this season.

You gave up your gym membership for baby yoga in the living room.

You now cut your own hair using a complicated system of tilted mirrors.

You’re not sure what you’d even want to do if you had three hours to yourself. Most likely, you’d crash into a long and uninterrupted slumber.

So You’re Barely Hanging on, Now What?

I know about these struggles because I have been where you are, weary woman.

I’ve made it to the other side, and I’ve found space to reclaim the parts of my life I once lost for a season.

Here’s what I wish I’d known in the middle of the most wearying season of motherhood:

You don’t have to keep a perfect house. Learn to let the messes go. You have a lifetime to enjoy the serenity of a spotless living room. This season feels like it will never end, but it will end.

You will one day have space to rediscover your passions. You’ll be able to return to your hobbies, take Sunday afternoon naps, and eat with both hands.

You can invest in a career at any time in your life. Your kids will only be young once. It will go faster than you realize.

Don’t aim to be perfect at anything in this season. You won’t be the perfect mom, the perfect housekeeper, or the perfect wife. Give your best effort and leave the results in God’s hands.

Soften. You don’t need to hold your world together.

Slow down. Hurrying will be your number-one joy-stealer in this season. Absolutely refuse to hurry.

The grit that served you well in prior seasons has possibly stopped serving you well in this season. Instead of being grittier, ask God to help you become a woman of grace. Grace will serve you much better (read about this journey to a life with less grit and more grace right here).

Don’t Give Up

And so, dear woman with the kids and the yanking dog, I applaud you.

I applaud you for trying, and I applaud you for showing up.

I also see that you’re barely hanging on.

This season won’t last nearly as long as you expect. When you emerge on the other side, the woman you have become will look back at the journey with a tender smile.

A Free Devotional for the Woman Who Is Barely Hanging on:

Lastly, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!

Two Life-Changing Books to Help You Connect With God Like Never Before:

God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book for free on the Kindle Unlimited plan or for sale in print right here. This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!

Attention, all moms and daughters!

Lastly, in addition to writing to adults, I am also passionate about ministering to the next generation.

My 12-year-old daughter Bekah and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book together. We hope to help moms and daughters connect and grow in faith together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section.

Our vision is for girls ages 7-17 to enjoy it with their moms, grandmas, or older women they look up to. However, mothers and daughters of all ages are using this book to grow closer together! This book makes a wonderful gift for a mother or daughter you care about!

You can buy your paperback or eBook on Amazon right here.