Help With Perspective

I wanted to share this post with any of you other moms out there that might need a lift or word of encouragement today.  If you're like me, the "to do" list each day seems endless...sometimes overwhelming, if we're not careful. I finally have to just stop at the end of each day wherever I am on the list and crash before it picks back up tomorrow. Often times I find myself a little extra exhausted as I sigh and look around the kids' rooms or the den at toys or clothes that are piled up, wondering sometimes if it will ever all be clean at the same time!

I remember a friend of mine saying this years ago when our oldest kids were toddlers.  She said she was trying to explain to her husband one night why it was so frustrating sometimes keeping up with housework with little ones.  She said, "Honey, how would you feel if you went to work, spent a good portion of your day on a project, felt very good about all you had accomplished, and then turned around and someone had come and UNDONE every bit of work you just did?!  Well, that's how I feel all day, every day!"  I couldn't have said it any better!  Do you moms agree?!  It's just part of the territory that comes with being a mama and having little ones (umm, and older ones, too!)

Well, I have a friend named Jessica, who I have just begun getting to know a little bit over the past year.  I had met her a few times before, and each time she had her sweet, smiling 4 year old little girl, Elizabeth, with her.  Here is a brief summary of their story, from Jessica's profile on her blog: 

"On March 5, 2010 we received the words that no parent should ever have to hear.  That was the day our 4 year old daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with cancer.  Shortly after Elizabeth's diagnosis we found out that we were expecting our second daughter due in February 2011.  After 8 months of chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiation therapy, Elizabeth was in remission and we rejoiced in God's faithfulness to answer our prayers.  We celebrated Elizabeth's 5th birthday and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends, enjoying our new found freedom from medicines and hospital visits.  On December 31st, our world was changed forever.  This was the day Jesus took Elizabeth home.  This blog is the journey of our bitter sweet reality of losing a child while expecting another.  We still rejoice in God's faithfulness, and we know that in Christ there is greater joy."

I am often blessed by Jessica's blog, because she is so real, so honest about her emotions, as well as the Lord's faithfulness, as they walk this path they never would have chosen for themselves.  But Jessica recently wrote a post called "Perspective", and I wanted to share it with some of my fellow moms today.  Try reading this post and staying frustrated very long as you look around at the mess your kids are making today.  Thank you, Jessica, for your sweet, honest heart in sharing with the rest of us, so that we keep our own perspectives right and focused.  I hope you'll take the time to check it out.   ( http://www.thecookesga.blogspot.com/2012/01/perspective.html )
 You will be blessed.