When I first got this bench, I had dreams about how amazing it would look refinished!

Before:

After:

Now that it’s painted, I love it more than ever, but keeping the paint clean and nice has been a challenge. I think I need one more coat of poly to feel comfortable, but until that happens, I cringe every time someone goes near it!

In way, I think that relates to motherhood… you can get it right one second, but the next minute someone comes along with sticky fingers and messes it up again!

When my oldest was 5, my youngest (a set of twins) were born, making me the mom of 5 kids in 5 years. Those first 5 years as a mom were physically exhausting!

Before:

Now my kid’s ages range from 13-8, and while I’m not changing diapers, or chasing after them in grocery stores, I’m even more exhausted!

Now:

The challenges are less about helping them survive, and more about helping them mentally navigate this crazy world! And I feel like I know what I’m doing less now, than I ever did! Just when I feel a success, something difficult happens and we’re back to stress and tears again.

The one thing that seems to help, is strengthening my relationship with God. He’s like that extra coat of poly to protect my paint-chipped heart.

I pray that He will take my weak efforts and magnify them into something good!

I pray that He will support me.

I pray for strength to guide my children through this crazy world.

And I know he will.

Even if I fail… He will be there to refinish and refine each benchmark of motherhood again.