When the Parent Is Tired
Parenting is rewarding. Absolutely rewarding. But let’s be honest: it’s also exhausting. Read on for some encouragement from Julie in those exhausting times.
When the Parent Is Tired
by Julie Arduini
This year our son is graduating from high school. Our daughter will start middle school. My husband’s oldest son is getting married. My husband started a new position at the same company, but he’s able to work from home. This started when I felt God’s clear direction to pursue ministry as an independent author and speaker.
Tired?
There are nights I am so bone tired I move beyond silly and crash into depression. That kind of exhaustion where you cry yourself to sleep. Any one of these instances could keep me busy every single day. But this season right now has me juggling all of it.
My son is a delight, truly a contemporary man after God’s own heart. He comes to me for accountability and direction. Our spiritual gifts are very similar, so I spend a lot of time showing him how to walk those things out as an intercessor. We’ve spent time visiting colleges and applying for scholarships. Praying for a steady job to come through. We’ve seen highs and lows, and now we’re moving into graduation weekend planning. It’s a bittersweet thing.
Our daughter transitioning into middle school isn’t quite the same as everyone else. Last year we learned that because of Albrights Hereditary Osteodystrophy, AHO, her bones have fused together and are registering at 18 years, even though she’s not quite 13. She is done growing in height at 4’8’. Talk about something hitting you from left field. This news came from another galaxy. We never saw it coming, and through testing and talking with those studying Albrights, we’ve learned no one quite knows what will happen during the teen years. There is extra lab work. Nutrition appointments. Medicines and supplements. Watching for different cues.
Spending time with her so she understands the teen years, her body, the world, and everything else in between. It’s difficult sometimes. I don’t understand a lot of what I have to share with her—the why, the what’s next, a lot of it.
My stepson’s wedding is out of state two weeks away from graduation. There’s making sure we’ve packed the dresses, plan everything out between what the girls will do and what the guys have planned. Taking a lot of pictures to capture the memories. Catching up with his daughter and our son-in-law. Fellowshipping with their mom and her family. It’s a little overwhelming for me, but I know it will be a great weekend.
In all of these things I came to the conclusion when I was reading my Bible today that I relate once again in a small way to Paul. I always thought we were kindred spirits because I used to make fun of Christians. Then, I had my own thorn of physical infirmity that taught me to lean on Christ. Today I realized although he was coming to the conclusion out of relentless preaching and persecution, the word is the same. Paul was tired. He was tired of running. Tired of speaking. Just plain tired.
I love my life but this year, especially as a parent, I’m tired. There’s a lot of running, researching, teaching, sharing, and more running. I realized looking back at the nights I was falling asleep with fat tears, praying “woe is me”-type prayers, that I was trying to get through these things on my strength.
Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that despite all of the toil and how tired he was, he took pleasure in those things. “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul found strength by operating in Christ’s strength, not his. As a mom, it’s key for me, especially this year. Not knowing the plan God has for our kids, I must rely on Him. Not understanding why things happen or where provision will come from, His strength is how I get up each morning and face the day. It’s how I wipe the “woe is me” tears from my face and resolve to work in His ways, not mine.
Will I have moments of stress and anxiety this year? Probably. I’m human and I fail like anyone else. But Paul’s encouragement is my direction through all of these things. I pray you find your strength in Christ, too.
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Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and —maybe one day—the chocolate. She’s the author of the upcoming re-release, ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as the sequel, ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past, set for a spring release. She also shared her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities at JULIE ARDUINI: SURRENDER ISSUES AND CHOCOLATE and the weekly e mail. SUNDAY’S SURRENDER AND CHOCOLATE.
Find Julie: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon. You can sign up for her monthly newsletters here, and her weekly Sunday’s Surrender and Chocolate here.
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Julie is working on something new. Be on the lookout on her web site and Amazon page!
Entangled:
Carla’s been given her dream, to leave her job as sheriff and attend cosmetology school. The gift is so overwhelming that she struggles with feeling unworthy, especially since she still feels guilty for becoming a mom as a teenager. When Wayne Peterson reenters her and their son Noah’s life, Carla creates some tangles between her and her steadfast boyfriend, the flannel-wearing, truck driver Will Marshall. Can Carla release her past and create a future full of highlights, or, will she burn her options worse than a bad perm?
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Let’s talk about this: Being a parent of any aged child is tiring. How do you recharge your batteries? What advice can you share with other parents, things you did, things you wish you had done instead? How do you support your kids while taking care of yourself, too?
Share your thoughts with us, because we can all learn from one another!
