It Takes a Village

I am going to do what you should never do when trying to maintain the attention of an audience and start with a side note.  I just realized that this is my first post of 2018!  How did the first 18 days of the month go by so quickly?

As a parent in this modern world, there is so much pressure to "raise your kids right."  The way our kids turn out is considered by many a reflection of our skill as a parent and general ability to "adult" well.  I already put enough pressure on myself, so I often find myself wading knee deep in mommy guilt. That's when God always finds a way to bring me back to his truth.  These are his children entrusted to my keeping, and it is he who will save them, not me. 

This week has been one of those weeks.  I knew I had a busy week coming up at work, and Billy had to be out of town for work all week.  Just those two factors combined already had me a little nervous about how the week would play out.  On top of that, I sprained my wrist last week.  Then, Sunday afternoon, Fletcher wasn't acting like himself.  By dinner time, his temperature was up to 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit.  With the flu being so rampant this year, I immediately concluded it was the flu and decided to take him to the doctor first thing on Monday.  While they determined it was not the flu, it still took 3 days for his fever to completely disappear. 

While Fletcher was sick, my mother-in-law, my mom, Billy's aunt, and our nanny all jumped in to help out where they could.  I wish I could say I was not stressed and completely graceful about the whole situation, but I can truthfully say that the help I received from our village ensured my sanity stayed in tact.  Throughout the week, God was consistently there to help make sure everyone was cared for and everything got done that had to be done. I couldn't have done it myself, but I am not expected to.  It really does take a village to raise children, and this was one of those times when the village had to be called into action.  Moreover, God helped me to find beauty in some of the moments that could have either stressed me out or have been completely overlooked.

I used to hate asking for help from others.  It wasn't because I was proud or anything like that.  I honestly didn't want to inconvenience others with my needs.  That seems silly, but it's true.  My children have helped show me that those other people love me and want to help; my burdens aren't an inconvenience to them, but an opportunity for them to show their love.   So, to the village that showed their love this week by easing the burdens I faced, thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I love you too!