In the movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the main character is a writer, and her editor boss finally tells her, “Congratulations, Andy! Your last article shows me you’re ready to be unleashed. From now on, feel free to write about anything!”
Andy: Anything?
Editor: Wherever the wind blows you.
Andy: Even politics?
Editor: Well, the wind’s not going to blow you there.
Andy: What about religion? Poverty? Economics?
Editor: This wind is more of a light breeze.
Andy: Well, what can I write about, Lana?
Editor: Whatever you want! Shoes, laser therapy, dressing for your body type.
Andy: Thank you for this opportunity, and thank you for making it easy for me to turn down.
Perhaps becoming a mom has felt like this for you: reason, practicality, lack of money and time have dictated your life, so your script might sound something like this:
You: I’m a mom now so I can do whatever I want! I can turn my living room into a ball pit, adopt all of the children in the world, start my own homeless shelter, AND be a speaker for women’s faith conventions the world-over.
Life: Actually, the wind’s not going to blow you there…..except for the ball pit, you can have that one.
You: So what can I do?!
Life: Whatever you want! Cook, clean, run errands, change diapers, multi-task your responsibilities — sky’s the limit!
You: Thank you for this opportunity, and thank you for making it easy for me to turn it down.
A friend of mine recently rewrote this movie script as her own version of the story. She was just so tired and run down by the responsibilities as a mom that she felt like she had no more room for dreaming or hoping.
Can you relate? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too. But maybe there’s a different way to look at our lives than this. Maybe we need to throw out this entire script and let God show us what he sees when he looks at our lives.
This makes me think of Joseph. His end result was so far from the beginnings he had. Years in prison? Family betrayal? Wrongly accused and imprisoned?!? I imagine him thinking, Thank you for this opportunity Life, and thank you for making it easy for me to turn down.
What looked like years upon years of squandered time and ambition actually wasn’t at all: it prepared him to live his craziest, wildest dreams (just not in the way he would have chosen), and friends, I can totally relate!
Twins for my first pregnancy? Complications in pregnancy and almost losing them at 21 weeks?! Nope, not what I would’ve chosen. Then months upon months of sleep deprivation after they were born? NOT part of the plan. I could barely keep up with my babies’ needs let alone my own needs. But my story isn’t finished yet, is it? And neither is yours.
What are your hopes and dreams? Are they lost in the crazy shuffle of mothering? If so, maybe we all need a new way of seeing things. What did Joseph hold on to during all those dark years, and how did he not lose hope? He kept his eyes set on God.
Ladies, there is meaning in our mundane and purpose in our pain when we stay connected to God throughout every season. Doing so brings us HOPE for a wilder, brighter future too — one that’s even better than we ever could’ve imagined.
So let’s trust that God is moving us in the direction of our dreams and hopes even when it doesn’t feel like it. Let’s believe that he still has wonderful things for us even when we don’t see a way toward them. If God was faithful to Joseph through what looked like hell on earth, then he WILL be faithful to us too.
That’s because God isn’t finished with us, mamas! Hold on tight to your defiant hope, because there IS purpose in our struggles and there IS joy in the journey. After all, we get to reflect God’s love onto our kids, right?! And that means every minute of our momming counts. So I say, “Thank you for this opportunity, Life. I accept!”
Christy Gudim has lived on 3 continents, speaks 2 languages & has 1 husband. She is a mama to twin girls and is loving it! She keeps busy by remembering that she once loved ballroom dancing, musical theater, & having friends over for tea. Find her on Facebook to follow the photo story of her twin one-year olds! 🙂