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Are you a mom who prays for silence – just a bit of peace and calm in your day?

A prominent sign in my house read, “Who are all these kids and why do they keep calling me mom?”  I recently moved it to the basement because, well, that’s not really descriptive of my household anymore.

When loud season ends

Loudness used to define a day in the life of the Gray family;  I lived with that noise for years.  One day I stumbled upon that sign and snatched it right up.  “That’s my life!!!” I thought.  “I am overwhelmed with children!!!”

I used to hide out in my cluttered basement on the treadmill – since no one liked spiders or exercise.  My ipod became my best friend; volume – EXTRA LOUD…to drown out the noise.

I prayed for alone time.  Upon the rare occasion, I grinned ear to ear, jumped up and down, and soaked up every second of precious time.

And then one day, my prayer was answered.  The kids grew up, college came calling, and the house became empty.

Couple that with a husband who travels an extreme amount of time.

Alone time abounds.

Imagine a large, three-story house with one person.  A home formerly teeming with excitement, piano practice, hamsters running amok, one snorting pug, flute practice, friends and sleepovers, birthday parties, violin practice, fish tanks, homework, video games, guitar practice, drums, singing, crafts, schoolwork and paperwork galore, toys, hermit crabs, footsteps running up and down the stairs, laughter, crying, screaming, and countless meals.

Silence.

Guess who wishes those days back now?  Those stressful, pull-your-hair-out, “What-was-I-thinking-when-I-had-all-these-kids?” days.  You know the ones – you’re having them now.  Oh, for just ONE day without bickering.  When will the madness end?!?

When you wish the loudness back

It does end.  And I’m here to tell you, that when it ends, it ain’t all that great. 

In fact, it’s downright boring.

The clock ticks. 

Meals for one.

What do I do with my time now?

It’s not that I don’t still have a thousand things to do.  It’s that they’re all in a thousand different places instead of under one roof.

Cherished, elderly parents to care for

a new grand baby to hold and cuddle

phone calls and “face time” to my college kids and trips to visit

work trips with my husband

a house full of things that need clearing out.

I do have one child at home, but even she is busy with her own life, work, and friends.  I savor the time I have with her.  (My husband calls her my playmate when she’s around.)

It’s like I don’t even know who I am anymore.  I watch football.  I hate being alone.  I stare out the window a lot.  I have to make lists and keep to them or I become unproductive.  All the former busy-ness made me a more productive person.

When you realize the old ladies were right

I guess what I’m trying to say, mom, is what I’ve always heard but never believed until now:

these are the best years of your life. 

The years when you have the kids under one roof, you know where they are, you control the activities in which they’re involved, you check homework, drive them to and from music lessons and sports activities.

You still have your youth; your health.  This is it.

When they leave – you’re no longer in control. 

You wonder if they’re safe.

You wonder what choices they’re making and pray that they’re good ones.

You’re no longer the center of their life. 

You’ve done your job – the best job in the world.  The MOM job.  The highest calling.

When mom no longer prays for silence

All that noise?  I welcome it now.  My kids were home for Thanksgiving and it was loud, and it was chaotic, and it was crazy, and it was wonderful.  These are the times I savor now. 

If only I could have a noise box.  I would trap their laughter, music making, and joking in that box, and then when I was alone, I’d open it.

I’d probably play it constantly until bedtime.

I am learning a lot about thankfulness in this new season.  It’s not really better, and it’s not really worse, it’s just different.

God is teaching me a lot these days about thankfulness.  I pray I learn what it is He’s trying to tell me.

It’s never a good thing to wish a season of your life away just to get to the next. 

I am telling myself that, and now, I urge you, mom, to remember that too.

I did enjoy my time with my kids, and I think if you talked with them they would tell you that for the most part I was a fun and present mom (even though I did lock two of them outside in the rain one time for aggravating their siblings.  It was really more of a mist, but they carry on like it was a deluge).

Determine to enjoy the loudness

We are all human, and I had my down times that I’m not proud of, just as any mom.

Forgive yourself and move on.  If God can forgive you, (and His mercies DO endure forever, Psalm 136) you must forgive yourself.  Live in the moment – and cherish that moment.

Even that loud one.  One day you’ll be glad you did!

How about it, mom?  Do you find yourself praying for silence more than thanking for the fleeting moments?

Can’t control your temper?

In Count to Nine, moms discover a Scripturally sound, methodical approach for taming the temper. Ruthie Gray, mother of four and grandparent of two, gently guides frazzled mothers of all ages toward God’s Word, His view on anger, and the nine steps to overcoming wrath.

In this ebook, you will learn

*The surprising reasons behind your anger

*The mind-blowing truth of God’s view on anger

*One eye-opening tactic for changing your reactions

*How the staggering power of unbelief can keep you from change

*How to triumph through one key attitude adjustment

*How to gain victory over a life-long stronghold

*And much, much more!

The author, Ruthie Gray, transparently shares her own motherhood struggles, instantly connecting with moms through her “been there” approach. Moms will find victory, new hope, and support through this encouraging method of actionable Scripture verses and Scripture prayers.

Dear mom, isn’t it time for you to Count to Nine?