I had another post about adoption ready for today and then…I woke up.
I am totally one of those people who gets completely overwhelmed by the stupidest stuff…this morning I would have easily used another word in place of “stuff” 🙂 When I walked in the house after taking Harper to school, the anxiety and worry and the overwhelmingness just started to pour in. Satan was really loving it and I just let him have his way. There was a sink full of dishes, piles and piles of dirty clothes, someone had tracked dirty little foot prints all over the kitchen floor, Amon was eating leftover Mexican food that was covering the floor under our kitchen table, orders were staring me in the face, dinner needed to be planned, etc, etc, etc. On top of that, parts of our life right now are just worrisome for me…so throw in a mind full of worry too. Then it began to rain. It was a nasty little storm and a small leak in our roof we’ve had, got worse and that leak is what pushed me over the “do the big ugly cry in your bedroom floor” edge. I was done. I was too overwhelmed and the worry was too much.
Then God was all like, “Who do you think you are pitching this ginormous fit? And who do you think I am?” My mind immediately raced back to a question someone had posted on my instagram feed this morning on a picture from last week. I have a sparrow tattooed on one of my forearms and someone asked if there was a significance to it. My mom was the queen of worry. I always told her I wanted to be just like her, but I did not want any part of her worriness. That sounds a bit bad, but she worried hard. She loved the places in the Bible that talk about God caring for the birds of the air. The last art piece I made her was a “His eye is on the Sparrow” canvas. She worked really hard on letting God have her worries.
As I’m sitting there full of worry and crying my eyes out over very small and trivial things, God brought that verse racing back to my mind. And I felt like a fool…a big, sinful fool. I have a choice each day. I can let Satan have his way and enjoy stressing me out and pushing me over all kinds of edges and pitching a fit or I can let all the worry go and let all those small things go and remember I am not made to carry any of that crap. Do not worry…God cares even for the birds of the air…And how much more valuable I am than birds! I love the exclamation mark at the end of the verse. God’s all like…boom…I really mean this.
So I got up and made some choices. First off, I wrote the scripture on our chalkboard because I wanted to visually see it. Then I picked two things from the list of overwhelming things, I thought would make me feel a bit better. I chose to sweep the floors and to start some laundry in the washing machine. The boys separated the clothes for me, while I swept in the kitchen and dining room and spot cleaned the crazy foot prints off the kitchen floor.
Laura Kelley Fun Fact #231: I only divide clothes in to two piles…adult clothes and kid clothes 🙂 I wash my colors and whites together. Everything gets washed on cold. And sometimes If I’m feeling extra snazzy I’ll wash all the towels together on hot. My mom would be hanging her head in disappointment right now.
SIDE NOTE: We should never be allowed a big house…ever. It will be dirty and gross. 1300 sq. ft. is puh-lenty.
I also decided we would do breakfast for dinner. Zero prep, easy and quick.
Then I sat down and thought of some people in my life who could use a little encouraging note. One of the greatest things I learned from Mom’s death was even when you don’t know what to do for yourself, you can always do for others. So I wrote a few encouraging notes, addressed and stamped them and placed them in our mailbox. I was feeling so much better already.
Then I did something really good for me. I put Amon down for a nap and got me and the boys a snack.
SIDE NOTE: Please tell me someone out there knows if these snacks are really “good for you” snacks. Please say they are because they are both highly delicious.
This might be the moment when some of you are thinking I sat down and played and enjoyed Huddy and Sol and soaked up their little boyness and reveled in being a mom. Well, you would be wrong. People tell me all the time, enjoy these days because they will be gone before you know it. I know they will. I pretty much hate Time all the time. He is stealing all of my babies, but I have to keep myself sane sometimes too…can I get an amen?!?! So after the snacks were dumped into bowls, I put on a movie and I made some art.
SIDE NOTE and Laura Kelley Fun Fact #67: Hoodwinked is hilarious. So so so funny and cute. I did an entire study in college on different children’s books that delivered a twist on a classic kids story…like Cinderalla and The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. I lived on the edge in my college years…really, I was kind of lame. I so wish Hoodwinked had been out at this time.
Creating is my escape. It is like a full therapy session, but for free. It clears my head and puts my hands to work. It is just good for me and at that point in the day, I needed something that was just good for me. It probably sounds corny and stupid, but God totally speaks to my heart when I create. It’s usually a really special time for me and Him. So I created and let my boys watch a movie.
Now I’m just sitting here feeling much, much better. And I still have loads and loads of laundry to do, the sink is still piled high with dishes, the leak in our roof is still leaking and so on and so on, but I’m good. I’m loved by the Creator of the world and I’m blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Worry and anxiety have no place with me today. I totally punched my bad morning in the face.
Happy Wednesday.
Loading tweets...
I love it. We all get overwhelmed sometimes, but when I had my twins, I learned fairly quickly to let. it. go. It wasn’t just them (and my 4-year-old) and the busy-ness that came with that. . . I think I just got to a place with God where I was like, “Okay, You can handle this better than I can. I’ll do the Mom thing and you do the handle-all-the-other-stuff thing.” It’s pretty freeing.
Also – I love the original Veggie Straws, and. . . Ranch? Are you kidding me? I’m totally going to the store tonight to scout these out. (Also – no clue if they’re healthy, but I totally say they are. Heck – VEGGIE is in the name!)
1. I fully believe Veggie Straws are “good for you snacks”.
2. I’m encouraged to know that we live in the same-size house and have 4 smalls (well, we’ll have 4 smalls after our adoption) and it works.
3. I’m sorry you had a bad morning – please know that God used it and this post to speak some truth into my stressed-out heart.
4. Glad your day is getting better!
So needed to hear that right now….guess we were kind of in similar boat, but God used your blog to remind me to focus back on Him instead of me, me, me!!
thanks for being real as always! 🙂
I love reading your blog! I’m always so encouraged by your honesty. I also love all your ideas of doing things for others!! Thanks for sharing!
A-freakin-men. I am a worrier too. What an encouragement to see how you handle the yucky worries of life. Looking for others to bless works for me too. Totally puts things into perspective. And I’m a big believer in ME time…even Jesus took ME time 🙂
I sat in church one morning feeling like God had forgotten me. And then someone got up and sang that song. His eye is on the sparrow. And I cried and cried, and my husband nearly dragged me out, but I knew He hadn’t forgotten me. And whenever I hear that verse, or that song, I am reminded again. Thanks for reminding me, in the middle of my mess. I’m glad you punched your bad day in the face! He meets us where we are!
Thank you. Just thank you. I pray to have your strength and faith one day. You inspire me. I’m glad your day is better. 🙂
Thank you thank you thank you for posting this. I needed to read it big time. My overwhelmed-ness feels major lately, and I want to punch myself in the face and be grateful for my blessings in this life. Taking note of this verse and repeating it while I jump in to do maybe just one or two things on my list. Why is it so hard to give ourselves grace?! PS- all my laundry is mixed and done on cold, too…no need for more piles of stuff!
So needed to read every word of this today. Thanks for your honesty. It helps to know that I’m not the only one who occasionally throws a tantrum!
I read every post you write and I love them… but this one? I love LOVE it! You are so right… doing encouraging things for others is a wonderful way to make yourself feel better! And you make your readers happy too because it makes us all warm and fuzzy inside. 🙂
And, I’m right there with you on the dirty house battle… and I only have one little one. Yeesh!
This post was such a blessing to me. I follow several blogs, and I quickly get overwhelmed by everyone’s super momness. And I feel small and unaccomplished and pitifully human. Thanks for reminding me that we all super moms, and even super moms have bad days. Thank you for being willing to show that side off yourself with us and not just posting the rosy side of life. And I love the verse you shared. I went and wrote it on our chalk board too.
What can I say??? You are totally amazing! Totally NORMAL!! You are loved. You are a mom and a wife (not really in that order!) Who cares if the snack is healthy?! Eat what you want to once in awhile! I mean, seriously, isn’t ice cream and caramel topping with whipped cream a healthy snack?!? (I know you think I’m kidding… but I am SO serious!) The Lord is so much bigger than our days. He is Eternal, Almighty, the only wise God, His Name is a Strong Tower. Run into His loving arms and just be hugged today! 🙂
Get it girl! Like a BOSS! And if not a BOSS, maybe like an assistant manager which is still pretty bossy. Love to you!
More hugs to you! I’m glad you turned your stress and worry into what seems like a fun afternoon. You’ve got me wanting to get into my own art supplies and create something! After I go start some laundry… 😉 Also, breakfast for dinner is my favorite. I need to do that more often.
This verse is my 2013 verse as I sit with God s love for me. But I sit with the Message version in Matthew 10..thought you’d love to know Eugene’s version. You are worth more than a million canaries Laura.
29-31 “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.
Sara…I may have gotten a wee bit misty eyed with the “you are worth more than a million canaries” Love it.
Thank you, Laura! I needed to hear this RIGHT NOW! Thanks for the focus.
Wow! Thank you 🙂
Can totally relate to your worry and anxiety and I am a mom to one strong willed 4 yr old! You are an inspiration to me as a mommy with your four. The song you referred to about the canvas you made for your Mom, is an amazing one and very dear to my hubby and me.
I love real you are. Thank you for saying what tons of us are thinking and going through. I adore you and your blog.
On another note, no pun intended, where did you get those awesome hello notecards? Did you post a link to them before? I tried to find it and couldn’t.
🙂
Onna…Target my friend, Target!
A big AMEN! I woke up to a bad morning too, so your post was really timely. You’ve inspired me how to handle it so much better. Thank you Laura!
I do my laundry exactly like yours! 🙂 And I totally have days like that. I think that’s why God created us to go to sleep and wake up to a new day. 🙂
Love this! I think you should totally blog a post about how you organize your 1300 sq ft house! We live in a 1200 sq ft house and we’re adopting a girl from China so I need your tips!!!
I completely understand where you were coming from with this post. When my house is a wreak it causes me so much anxiety and just adds fuel to the fire. I was the one that asked you the question about the sparrow tattoo and I am so so so glad that it struck a cord with you when you needed it.
Also, I have a very close friend whose 3 month old daugher is having open heart surgery this week and was wondering (if on here or by email) you could let me know what was the most helpful thing to you when you were going through Amon’s surgery.