What Kind of Mommy Pit are You In?

If you're not quite sure what I'm talking about then stop for a moment and look around at your life. Are you stuck, overwhelmed, lonely, existing but not living or worse yet, living in the past filled with shame and regret? The walls are closing in around you and everywhere you touch there is no grace or cushion to aide your daily grind/despair.

You're in a pit that is filled with:

• unrealized dreams
• overwhelm with the constant 24/7 care of the little ones
• a chaotic home
• financial debt/stress
• a strained marriage
• health problems and/or extra weight
• low self esteem

Did I miss anything? Ok here's the cool thing; a pit doesn't have a top. Yep, that's right. You can crawl out anytime your ready to tell God/Allah/the Universe that you're done trying to dig yourself out. Because digging yourself out actually just makes the pit deeper and darker. You have to reach out for spiritual guidance and strength to be able to get out of the pit. 

We have to stop complaining about the problems and concentrate on solutions. Taking 10 minutes a day to find a quiet moment and connect to your spirit (pray/meditate) will help you see the way through this time in your life and how to make it better. 

Before we explode at our kids because everyone is talking at once or they just spilled the last of the milk, let's take a deep breath, hold it for 3 seconds and then let it go. Am I perfect at this? Um, no. As a matter-of-fact I have had more yelling moments than I care to admit. However, the more often I try to take a step back and look at it from an outsiders perspective the more I realized that I lose my temper much easier with my own kids than with someone else's. So why am I screaming at my own kids whom I love so much more than the kid down the street? Accountability. There, I said it. If I scream at a neighbor's kid then they are going to go home and tell their parents. 

Unfortunately I forgot the accountability to my own kids in the heat of the moment. Guess what? My heart sees. God sees. One of my own pits has been accepting that I wasn't so patient when all of mine were very little. But I've asked for forgiveness and living in the past cannot change the future. It only keeps us chained down and wallowing in the mud from our tears. 

I have realized that my past choices are the reason that I am in this time and place in my life. While I am in a much better place than just three short years ago, my self esteem and relationships with my husband and kids are not where I want them to be. I've been trying to get out of the pit all by myself. Not working. 

Maybe you're where you are because of someone else's actions. Your husband, your parents, your ex, your boss, someone else pushed you into this pit. 

Or maybe you slipped in on accident. This is what I think happens to most of us. We're doing great then suddenly the mommy thing hits you with something crazy and you just slide right in.

Then there are other times we jump in with both feet. Yeah like when we say we're committed to getting healthy and we still eat that THIRD piece of chocolate cake. 

Let me share something awesome. (Everything is awesome!--yes I just had to add the Lego movie song)

We don't have to stay in the pit any more. All we have to do is reach up and embrace the spiritual peace that is waiting. 

I didn't come up with this theory all by myself. I'm reading 

Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore. (Yes it's an affiliate link.)