Hey Mama Monday: If Your To-Do List Is Overflowing, It Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing.

Hey Mama,

Was your week perfect? Did you fail at all? Even once? Were there any meltdowns (from you and/or the kids)? How about grief or pain… any of that? Some of the kids run away or starve? Did the house burn down? Another week in the life of a Mama. A family who strives for balance, not perfection. A Mama who loves her children with all her heart but also keeps it real. A house that is so messy at times maybe it *should* burn down (at least it would be sterile), but hey, the important things got done this week, right? If the school work wasn’t completed, if the kitchen smells bad (still), if the playroom looks like it went nuclear, if the ants are back because of all the crumbs, know this one thing: you kept the priorities. Your children were hugged; they laughed their chunky little heads off; there were meaningful conversations; they ate just fine (cuz you can cook, Mama!!); they feel secure, safe, and loved by a Mama who’s not at all perfect—but never has she claimed to be!

They see the REAL. They see what’s TRUE. Nothing phony’s going on at your house. You keep it genuine – sometimes bluntly so, and while you might not feel too balanced lately, even that too is OK because you’re striving for it. And it will come. Give it some time. Look at your plate. It’s full, Mama. It’s overflowing onto the place mat and spilling on to the floor. Yet you manage to keep the important things right in front of you. Front and center. You know what’s important, and it’s making a difference.

Well done. Keep walking. Eyes on Christ. His hand is on your head today.