Rest And The Mom-cation

By Lana Moline

I am always incredibly torn when my children leave to visit their grandparents during the summer.  I have no doubt that they will be well cared for and that they will have a great time.  The truth is, I miss them like crazy.  When they were little, the sleepless nights were brutal and I wished for “me time” or just a moment’s break but now that they are at a point of independence, it’s hard for me to truly accept the fact that this is only the beginning.  They were merely loaned to me for a little while.

They are blessed kids because all of their grandparents are fantastic and contribute in whatever way they can from sewing all the bedding on their cribs when they were born to story time via skype to visiting just because – they are awesome.  I sincerely rest at ease knowing that they are loved and cared for when they visit.  What I never anticipate is how much my every day life is morphed into theirs.  Today I considered what I should cook, what I felt like eating and even what I was going to watch on tv and everything still centered around them.

God spoke to me clearly this weekend.  My pastor pointed out the fact that restoration is a combination of rest and recuperation and then today as I flipped the channel I heard a pastor share that we should stop trying to be everyone’s hero especially when we have run out of gas.  I was reminded that it’s okay to say “I am tired or I don’t know or I don’t feel up to it right now.” In the message he urged us to take our capes off and just get some rest.  My pastor said the same thing in his message.  He shared from I Kings 19:1-8 that sometimes what we need is to rest.  It’s a very confirming thing to be reminded that although we are mothers and wives, we are also still human.  I seriously needed to hear that up close and personal and then be reminded again today so I won’t busy my much-needed “mom-cation” with unnecessary chores.  In the end I’ve got to remember that although I wear all the hats, my charge is still the same – guard the temple and steward it well.

If you are reading this and need some rest, here’s your confirmation in 3′s:  I am telling you, I heard it today on Christian TV and my pastor said it too.  Get the rest you need.

Lana Moline is an integral part of the Blackloveandmarriage.com writing team, freelance writer and poet who lives in Ft. Worth with her three kids and husband Emile. Married 11 years, both media professionals have vowed to maintain integrity in all aspects of print and broadcast journalism.Visit her atLana Moline Speaks.