Submitted by Nancy Sheridan, Fort Irwin, CA
I ran into a friend of mine while I was out with my family and it was a sweet run in…when we were parting she said I don’t know how you moms of multiple children do it! Well…for those of you who see me smiling with my children looking clean and behaving somewhat well, here’s the reality.
The toddler and preschool years were incredibly tough! I was grinning ear to ear when you saw me because I was so THANKFUL to God that I actually made it to the church! My kids behaved well because they knew they were under DEFCON 4 alert! I’ve had a child scream for 3 hours because she wanted her own way and I wouldn’t let her. I’ve had to drag a child to the bathroom at church after he threw himself on the ground to protest potty training (for 6 months). I homemade all their baby food, then went on a Wendy’s drive-thru stint (raising my cholesteral count for the first time in my life) when Steve deployed. I felt that God made them beautiful just so they would live long and prosper! I cried and gnashed my teeth. I had children that didn’t like wearing their poopy diapers! I had a child that clung to my leg and whined. I had one that touched and tasted everything and REALLY enjoyed crawling on the floor of public bathrooms…WHOAAAA!!!!
Then…they all hit at least 4 years old. And the world slowed down. The birds sang. And I could breathe. When the three turned 4, 5 and 6 I thought I had gone to heaven. The issues didn’t happen at breakneck speed and I wasn’t scrambling all over the floor. I made peace with my mommy brain or lack thereof. My children began to listen and some of my hard work started paying off. My husband came home from Iraq. I began to cook again. Our family was reunited and mending. Then along came my son Nathan and a house addition. In actuality, peace came to our home. God granted it to us and I receive it with open arms. We made it through some storms!
So when you see me smiling and floating on air as I show off my chubby bundle of joy…know that this season I’m thoroughly enjoying came with a price…a lot of hard work, a lot of time flat on my face before God, and a lot of blood sweat and tears. Literally. And yes, now I am having the time of my life! I can certainly do all things with Christ who strengthens me!
