I had expected to feel defeated. To wake up every day still longing for more.
That’s the honest truth.
But when someone said to me at the mall on my birthday (and maybe it’s simply because, who honestly goes shopping at posh J.Jill during naptime with four little kids in tow?!), you certainly have your hands full after I answered her question about the kids’ ages… I smiled, and replied, yes; blissfully, happily so.
After so desperately wanting half a dozen kids filling my home, to feel full of bliss and contentment that I can not adequately describe is truly humbling and beautiful. It is a gift from God.
I don’t feel defeated. I do not daily yearn for what-will-not-be.
Joy fills my home, and supersedes the sorrows.
Rather than defeat, I feel a sense of peaceful victory.
God gave us the courage to push through.
And He gave us the grace to overcome.
And these four little miracles who fill my home are just so downright blissful themselves.
Joy, wonder, excitement, creativity ~ it is in every corner of the home, every hour of the day.
And while the duties of my days have their monotony, their frustration, their dull sheen at times…
the joy and gratitude and marvel of my life truly take the monopoly.
Take a peek. Because these little people truly fill my heart with bliss.
I discovered that at the heart of my misery—beyond the homesickness and sense of failure—was a misunderstanding about faith. I had confused faith in God with faith in what God could do for me. I had been viewing God like a mystical vending machine: I inserted my prayers, pulled the handle, and expected the desires of my heart to pop out the bottom slot. It turns out God has very little in common with Pop-Tarts. And what makes me happy is not necessarily what draws me closer to the God who knows my every nook and cranny. It turns out He loves me enough to say no when, as every parent understands, saying yes would have been so much simpler, with less call for temper tantrums.
~Lisa-Jo Baker, Surprised By Motherhood, p100~
So joyous for you, dear friend! God is good to fill your heart and your arms with these blessings. I love the poses.
Now that I am mother, I feel that whether one or ? more, (only God knows), I will be happy and content with whatever number. Because just being able to experience this gift of motherhood has me on cloud 9! My joy on this earth has been doubled.
Oh Melissa, this brought tears to my eyes. I know this feeling. The desperation I felt after the birth of our third when I was told I could not have anymore babies. And then the immense joy when we were blessed with our fourth. I did struggle with being content after she was born, but I can say today that over time, God has given me such a huge sense of peace, and I am truly content with what He has blessed me with. Hugs, my dear friend.
I have pictures of my kids at these ages in some of these exact poses…seeing these pictures brought back sweet memories of my own. Soak in every moment! XO