How to find hope on the days that seem hopeless

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hope in the lord

As our girls were running around playing, my friend lamented to me the frustrations of her day. Her son got in trouble at school again, this time for biting. Her infant still isn’t sleeping through the night. Her husband is always at work and she feels like a caged lion, trapped in her home and ready to pounce. With every word she said, I got it.

Don’t you?

We all have those days, us mothers. Being a mom of three kids under five, I’m always running – either on adrenaline or exhaustion. A messy house is the norm and rest is a rare gem, so hard to find. But I find comfort in the words of Isaiah when he says, “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.” Because in the midst of the daily hard, I can find rest in Christ. 

“You are not alone,” are words that always bring me comfort. Knowing that someone else has experienced my circumstance or is going through the valley right there with me, I am comforted in knowing that we are in this together.  That is why community is such a gift, something that unites our hearts and allows us to keep moving through the mess. I love how in Isaiah says in verse forty, chapter eleven that God gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Do you notice that lamb is plural? God cares for moms as a community.

My kids are young and so am I. Right now, me and my friends are still finding sprinkles on the floor and icing on the walls from baking Christmas cookies with our preschoolers.  We are rocking and nursing babies, cleaning up poopy diapers and trying to stay calm as our preschooler throws a temper tantrum over what shoes to wear to school. Our kids constantly need us to put straws in juice boxes and fix them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I don’t always know what I’m doing and I don’t really like it when someone comes along and tells me what I could do better.

But just as God gathers us moms up in his arms, he gently leads those that have young. He understands that we are exhausted and need gentle doses of instruction and encouragement. What he wants us to find is comfort in his arms, not the feeling of inadequacy. 

The promise of “this too shall pass” is what gives me hope as a mom. Isaiah 40:4 promises that ‘the rough ground shall become level.’ On the days that are completely a mess, I have to hold on to this truth. God knows that our bodies grow tired and weary but he assures us that our strength will be renewed by putting our hope in him.

So, on the days that seem like they will never end, pause. Remind yourself of the hope that is found in Isaiah 40. Know that you are not alone, and this is just a moment that will pass. Accept the comfort that God so freely gives and take a moment to find rest. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children. May you find hope through the hard.

Web-4574-002 Christen Price blogs at illuminate, where she offers a light for your path. As wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to three premature children, she’s learned that God is the Perfect Party Planner and sometimes the unexpected is the greatest gift of all. Creating community is a passion of Christen’s; both online and as the Director of Women’s Ministry at her church. She loves exclamation points and posting pictures of her family, fun times with friends, and food. Subscribe to illuminate’s newsletter to receive a free copy of her e-book A Light for Your Path. You can find her on Facebook or on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter @chris10price.

 

Stephanie Shott
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