MomLife … is a word that has described my existence for the last 21 years. I’m excited to be joining the MomLife Today group of bloggers. As a recent transplant to Little Rock, I’m just getting to know these amazing women. I’m also thrilled to connect with you — ordinary moms who have good days, bad days, busy days, and those blissful days that make all the hard stuff worthwhile.
MomLife … didn’t start as I’d always expected. I found out I was pregnant my senior year in high school, and my son was born three weeks after graduation. It was one of the hardest times of my life. It was painful and depressing because I dropped out of regular school. Not only that, but my boyfriend broke up with me, and my friends went on with their senior year without me. It was also good because my mom and grandma’s Bible study group reached out to me and loved me in ways I didn’t expect. They invited me to Bible study, encouraged me, and gave me a baby shower. And because of them, when I started my life as a mom, I was also a new follower in Christ.
MomLife … started quick and didn’t slow. After God brought an amazing Christian guy into my life, we met, married, and had two more kids. My 3rd was born when I was 22 years old. It wasn’t what I’d planned but was a gift (gifts!) from God.
MomLife … was nothing that I thought. Every time I had an idea of what my life would look like, God would scramble my ideas and project a new picture into my heart. When I planned for public school, God led me to homeschool. When I dreamed of staying home all day long, God called me to start a crisis pregnancy center and volunteer. When I thought the best thing I could do for my kids was to focus all my time and energy on them, God led me to writing Christian articles and books, thus modeling for my kids what it looks like to serve God with my talents and time.
MomLife … looked like it was coming to hands-on completion when my kids entered their teen years, but John and I both felt we weren’t ready for that yet. Just two-and-a-half months ago, we adopted a baby girl just in time to gear up for our oldest son’s wedding, our daughter’s 18th birthday, and our youngest son’s driver’s ed classes!
MomLife … is worth every heartache, every worry, and every sleepless night. As I’ve seen my kids grow into amazing young people who love and serve God, I know without a doubt this is the best job ever.
MomLife … is also something I’ve discovered I can’t handle on my own. It’s too hard, too draining. The good thing is that I’ve learned I don’t have to. You don’t have to, either. God doesn’t give us these kids and then send us off on our merry way. Instead, He is there with us, guiding us, leading us, empowering us if we let Him. One of my favorite verses is John 15:4:
“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me” (The Message).
MomLife … will bear many great things as we abide in Jesus. It’s a lesson I’ve learned as the years have gone by. It’s a message I’ll remember for the next 18 years to come … at least.
About Tricia
