Weary

From Empowered to Connect:

“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us …”  Galatians 6:9 (The Message)

Today is a Friday, and I am weary. There seems to be an endless demand for my attention. The piles of clean laundry are indistinguishable from the piles of dirty laundry. The toys take over any available floor space making simple tasks like walking difficult. The dishes spill over onto the counter. The children grab and scream and cry and scowl. And I try to hold on to the last bits of my sanity as we struggle through the day.

Parenting is hard. It requires more of me than I want to give. It requires sacrifice with lengthy delays on gratification. I get to the end of the week, and I am fatigued. I am weary and run down. I bite my tongue from modeling disrespect, refrain from doling out justice, and find the energy to say one more time, “Let’s try that again with respect.”

It’s tempting to send the children to their rooms, to avoid their needs. But I press on—I won’t give up or quit. I look forward to another jolt of caffeine and a quiet moment to refocus my compassion and myself, so I can look for ways to continue to connect and build relationship with my children.

And on this weary Friday, I am thankful that I am not alone. I am thankful for a community of adoptive parents who are walking the same journey I am and are walking with me. I am thankful to God who deals with me graciously.

So, when you get to your weary Friday or Monday or Tuesday…or are just feeling discouraged, find some space to realign your thoughts and your heart. Sometimes the most spiritual and faithful thing we can do is admit that we are weary and turn to the One the Apostle Paul calls “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). He restores and renews as we continue the good work of building connections with our children.

Lord, help us to take care of ourselves while we work daily to meet the needs of our children, and help us to draw our strength from You. Amen.

Annie McClellan and her husband Scott have two daughters and serve on the Tapestry Leadership Team.  They are trainers for Empowered To Connect Parent Training, and Annie regularly writes for the Tapestry blog.

*Adapted from …And They Lived Faithfully Ever After: Devotionals for Adoptive & Foster Families, due out by December 2012 from Empowered To Connect.