In the trenches

A couple days ago I met a young mommy with three little ones, a 7 yr old, 3 yr old, and an 8 month old. We chatted as we waited for our appointments. In the conversation she found out I was expecting baby number 11.  She was pretty shocked with that and said that she had made the decision to have her tubes tied after her 3rd baby.  She was exhausted, overworked, tired, and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Later in the day I received an email from another mommy due with baby number 4 any day.  She too complained of being exhausted and tired.  After this baby she is also done.

One of the wonderful things with having 10 children is hindsight.  It’s really a beautiful gift!  These two sweet women can’t see the light because they are deep in the trenches.  I’ve been there and many times still feel like I am.  I know and remember very clearly what it is like to constantly feel sleep deprived, to be waist deep in diapers, nursing, homeschooling, keeping up the house, and still trying to be a wife. Those were very challenging years. I really questioned God’s thought process.  I clearly was the wrong lady for the task He set before me!

Fast forward to where I am now and I am so grateful I didn’t give up. I’m thankful that I didn’t make any permanent decisions regarding having future children when I was deep in those trenches. I see the light now and it burns beautifully bright!

I encouraged both of these mommies in the wonderful gift they have of being a mama. It’s not always easy but it is always rewarding, though it may be hard to see the rewards in the midst of blow out diapers, crying kids, and the burning dinner in the oven.  We can’t look at the here and now as this WILL change. Duane and I looked to the future. What did we want Christmas to look like here one day?  How many precious faces did we hope to one day see sitting around our table? Babies will grow, they will potty train, you will get a full nights sleep again. Teenagers will graduate, go off to college and marry. One day your house will be silent.  When they all come home for Sunday evening dinner and holidays what do you hope to see?

Hang in there mama’s! There is something beautiful outside those trenches! The rewards will come!