Toots, Tantrums, and the Terrible Twos
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- The Parable of the Persistent Widow - April 20, 2018
- Maintaining Friendships During Motherhood - March 22, 2018
I’m a mom.
That right there should explain the title of this post. I’ve recently become more of a mom, or a mom to more, or something like that. We just had baby #4. That means that when we came home from the hospital with a tiny, wiggly, tooting machine, there wasn’t a honeymoon period. Now don’t get me wrong, there have still been plenty of sweet and adorable baby moments. But it’s different when a whole slew of children are running into and through those moments. You see, babies don’t change. This precious bundle does the same things that my others did. He eats, he sleeps, he poops (all the time!), and he makes those incredibly adorable little noises and faces while he’s dreaming. No, this baby is still a baby.
But what about me?
Well, I have certainly have changed. Gone are the days of endless snuggles with my firstborn. Now I have to battle myself over whether I’ve given each child enough individual attention. Gone are the days of watching a sweet baby sleep. Now I have to make the agonizing choice to lay my sweet snuggly bundle down to go break up an argument in the bedroom. Yes, those bittersweet days are gone and now it’s all toots, tantrums, and the terrible twos.
Now make no mistake: I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, maybe I would. I might take away teething, diarrhea, and sleep regression from my eighteen month old. I might shave off a bit of my four year old’s emotional sensitivity and I would definitely add on a mind reader so I can figure out exactly what my six year old was thinking when he made some questionable choice. But you know that’s just not how God designed things. And who am I to be making suggestions to God? I mean, it sounds good, but He just didn’t intend for eighteen month olds to be reasoned with. No, if God has shown me anything through this surprise blessing #4, it’s that His plans are so much greater than mine.
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
God’s Plans are Greater than Mine
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve planned something only to later see God’s purpose to be more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. My plans were to marry the boy I was engaged to in high school. That plan had already brought me more heartache than any other plans I’d made. God’s plan was to break my heart and mend it and mold it for another…a godly mate who has cared for me like no other.
My plans were to go to college and launch myself into an exciting and fulfilling career. God’s plans were to show me the joy and love that only children can bring, and to lead me into a life of diapers, play dates, and home school.
My plans were to have three children and boldly state that my quiver was quite full. God’s plan was to bring a beautiful baby boy to be our fourth miracle–a blessing beyond any that I could have ever dreamed up.
Parenthood is definitely not an easy road, but I thank God for revealing his beautiful, more perfect plan. Some days I want to just break down and cry out that this gig is too hard. Other days I’ve got tears of pride running down my face at the beauty of my children. Some days are filled with poor choices and lots of discipline and molding of their hearts, while other days are filled with giggles and games and unspeakable joy. How much greater His plans have been than anything I could have even fathomed! I cannot wait until He comes in and wrecks my next set of plans.
Have you ever made a plan only to see God’s more perfect plan shine through?
How do you encourage others who are in the trenches of parenthood?
