This is an entry I started a couple months ago and just got around to finishing….
Thrive: verb (used without object),
1. to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
2. to grow or develop vigorously; flourish.
When one becomes a mother or father there is a phrase you often hear, “This too shall pass.” It’s true…teething, short napping, colic, etc….it all will come and go…eventually. It’s a truth that I’m thankful for, but at the same it’s a truth that I sometimes have a bit of trouble with. I don’t want life to just pass…I want to thrive, not just survive each day. Though there are some days (and even seasons) when survival is much to be proud of, I don’t want that to become a way of life. But often I feel like we’re so far from “thriving”. How could we ever get there when we hit challenge after challenge everyday? I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this paradox and have learned two things:
1. I had the wrong expectation of what “thriving” looked like. When I envisioned us “thriving” I thought of sunny days, big smiles, laughter, late mornings and long naps. While these are very good things, this isn’t what thriving always looks like. As defined above, the second definition for “thrive” is, “to grow or develop vigorously.” Well, as it turns out, both Will and I were growing and developing vigorously in his first year. For Will it was very obvious – weight gain, growing height, sitting up, crawling, etc. For me, however, it was not so obvious. The growth came in painful ways often, but looking back, there’s definitely been growth. I’m thankful that we are through a “winter” of sorts and the blossoms of spring are coming out. What does thriving look like in your life?
2. I had the wrong timeframe – I needed to look over a longer period of time to recognize the growth. Although there were many days in the first year that all I could do was the absolute minimum to keep our family running, when I step back and look over Will’s entire life I can see the growth we’ve both made. I’m amazed that in just 16 months he went from being a helpless newborn to a toddler that tries to run. I’ve also learned quite a bit about grace, humility, patience, thankfulness, prayer, more patience…..and how to operate with less sleep.
If you are in a season of challenges…hang on! While you may feel like you are barely making it, if you keep at it you might find that the seeds you have sown blossom into something beautiful.
Here’s a picture from the early days….
its the mom life 