When a Mom is in Doubt, a Mom's Night Out Might be Right up Her Alley

Proverbs 31:28-29 (NLT)

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
    Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”

 

 

 

Ever feel like you don't fit the bill?  I use to cry out at 3am while holding a sleepless baby, asking God, "Why?  Why have you abandoned me?  Why do I feel only sorrow and fatigue?  Why has the joy of motherhood been sucked out of me?  Why, God?"

 

I had three baby girls who all had their quirks throughout babyhood and toddlerhood.  They kept me busy and brought great joy to me.  We were then blessed with a baby boy.  We delighted in him before he even made an appearance.  He was a spoiled baby before we even wrapped our arms around him.  I never thought that he would spoil me with a lot of crying and sleeplessness.  I loved him from the moment I conceived him.  I embraced his tiny self with love and nurturing.  I never questioned him why he didn't sleep or why he wasn't happy or even why we had some gross motor issues.  I loved him through my crazed, blurry eyes.  I questioned God.

 

I started falling apart.  I didn't neglect my children.  I fed, bathed, educated, drove, and soothed boo-boos.  I laughed with them, ran with them, and watched TV with them.  I got on the floor with the baby, fed him, bathed him, sung to him, and worked hard with him through his physical therapy.  I was a Super Mom.  I was an exhausted mom who felt like her Father abandoned her.

 

All I wanted was to feel loved by Him.  I thought love equaled sleep, because at that time my love language was sleep.  But I also think I needed to feel His presence around me, His arms around my shoulders, and His Word reaching me.  I felt none of the above, even though I knew I was immensely blessed by Him.  I was not the beautiful mom that I needed to be.  I was downright ugly.

 

Several months, and I mean several, I finally started getting some sleep.  It was after Baby Boy completed his physical therapy, I stopped nursing (which was also a sad event for me), and I got involved in a Bible study with my friends.  Sleep.... ahhh....

 

Now it's been almost a year since my disillusionment through the lack of sleep and the sadness that encompassed my heart has dispersed.  Once in awhile I do feel sad or tired or have random bouts of sleepless nights... but I also have found the tool to help me when I feel the heaviness of the blessings that my Father has given me... His Word.  I was encouraged by a friend to start a Bible reading plan in the new year.  I thought I would read it for the sake of my children and that I could teach them about our faith.  I was so very wrong in that mind-set.  I needed to read it to teach myself!

 

God is so very faithful to all of those who are so faithless.  I felt faithless through my sadness.  I wanted to give up.  I threatened Him that I would give up.  Why did He allow joy into the hearts of unbelievers yet not into my own?  He showed me otherwise.  I thank Him for showing me the truth time and time again.

 

With all of that said, I recently saw the movie Mom's Night Out with a group of Homeschool moms.  Yes, we are that stereotype!  Mom's in need of a night out.  Yep, that's us!  That's me!!!  I had a friend post to my Facebook wall that she thought I would enjoy this movie and encouraged me to see it.  A friend of hers chimed in saying that she was tired of over-zealous movies putting dads down and that this movie indeed does just that and she supported this stance by an article.  Here is that article:  http://acculturated.com/lets-kill-the-medias-stereotype-of-incompetent-dads/
 

 

This article was written by someone who based their review off of the trailer for the movie.  Little did they know that this movie never once puts down the dads in the movie nor does it belittle them.  Sure, the dads act goofy and somewhat forgetful.  SO DO THE MOMS!  This movie is more about a frazzled mom who puts herself down and feels that she doesn't measure up to what a mom is suppose to be.  She is reminded by the actor and Country Music star that plays the big, bad biker (Trace Adkins) that it's God that's in charge.

Post by Moms' Night Out.

 

 

 

We are beautiful in our chaos, through Him who makes it so.  We are beautiful in the peace, as we listen for His voice.  We are beautiful in the World, even when we feel so little.  We are beautiful to our families, even when we cry through sleepless nights.  We are beautiful to Him.

 

So, to all of those naysayers and bloggers, and to all of those critics and bystanders, Mom's Night Out- Whoo-hoo!  I love my children and my husband.  I could never imagine my life without them.  I don't want my life without them.  I could even live my life without having a "break" from them.  I don't need one.  But, a night out?  Time for myself?  Time with other like-moms?  Yes, please.  Why?  Because my Father knows my heart, how to nurture it, and that sometimes I need to have fun with people in the same shoes that I wear.

I have been blessed through this movie for it reminds me of the following:

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint

And in all seriousness, I only want to do the following:

I pray that you FEEL immensely blessed by Our Father.  I pray that you never feel abandoned.  I pray that you love yourself for what He created you to be.  I also encourage you to see this wonderful movie and that it blesses you and your fellow moms.