Embrace The Journey
Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel because things weren‘t going as you planned?!
Well, today my husband ended up being called in to work on his day off for a work emergency.
In result, leaving me with the kids during an important meeting with my mentor. This meeting had been planned for weeks. I had my mind set on a productive, uninterrupted meeting. My goal was to be able to sit down with my mentor and write out some plans for my future.
Instead, I had to step away from the meeting several times to break up arguments between my older children, change diapers, prepare snacks, and chase yelling babies around the community center. What an embarrassment, I thought. I was ready to pull my hair out...How could I possibly focus right now?
Having to maneuver with all of the kids during an important meeting can be so frustrating, nerve wrecking, and exhausting.
Like many, I think clearer when my environment is calm, and clutter free. I thank God for my mentor who is very patient and understanding. She helped me realize that in this season, I have to be practical. I am a mother of 5 which requires me to be flexible. I'm still learning how to take advantage of the opportunities that I have to be the best that I can be, given my circumstances. I must be very patient in this season; keeping in mind that this is not my forever.
Instead of getting frustrated, I needed to embrace the journey. This is only the beginning. There will be many more meetings and many more working days. I cannot allow what the enemy wants me to see as distractions, to keep me from accomplishing my goals. At times, I may feel like my kids are hindering me or slowing me down when I am attempting to focus, but the reality of it is that I am ministering to them through my actions as well as my reactions. What I mean by that is, my children are also watching my every move whether I know it or not. They are paying attention to the way that I respond to them. I want them to be inspired by my boss-like work ethic (managing a household and a business), not be resentful of it (due to my frustrations with their interruptions).
After exhaling all of the negative energy, I was able to breathe in God's peace and serenity.
I ended the day with a successful meeting and an even better word from God.
God never puts more on us than we can bear. He has equipped us for this journey. It’s up to us to embrace it and enjoy the process.
Being a mother is one of the greatest gifts God has ever blessed me with. He entrusted in me to love and raise 5 beautiful children. It would be ungrateful for me to look at them as a setback or a hinderance to what God is doing for me in my life. Instead, I look at them as a part of the journey. Although my workday may seem a bit chaotic and unorganized at times, its because I am managing multiple things at once. And that's okay. This is the assignment that God blessed me with and it is my job to strive for excellence, not perfection.
What the enemy may have planned for evil, God is already working out for my GOOD! (Genesis 50:20)
Until Next Time,
Ashley
Photo credit: Fotografia Productions
