The best part about being a mom of two!

My cousin recently asked me what the best part about being a mom of two is. In the moment I picked the low hanging fruit and said that I love watching my older son be a big brother, and that I love getting to experience those newborn snuggles a second time. These things are so true, but as I reflected more on the question, I landed on a different answer. My absolute favorite part of being a new mom of two is how it makes me rely on God in a way I’ve never had to before.

Prior to our second kiddo, our family of three had hit our stride. I’m not saying life was easy, because parenting a toddler is definitely not easy, however managing one child was going well for my husband and me. I stayed home with our son and our days were pretty simple. Although we didn’t have much of a schedule because my type B self hates a plan, we enjoyed our go-with-the-flow lifestyle. On a typical day, we would wake up, enjoy a slow morning at the house, go on an “adventure” (library, playground, zoo, nature center, etc.), nap, find something to do until dinner time, eat, and then go through our bedtime routine. My husband was balancing work and family time and doing it well.

When we had our second son, we were thrust into a new stage of life. I can no longer go with the flow as easily as I did before because I have an infant whose needs are unpredictable and immediate, along with a toddler whose needs, while pretty predictable, are still immediate. We can’t just go to the library on a whim whenever we feel like it, because getting a toddler, a new born, a postpartum mom, and a diaper bag ready and out the door takes WAY longer than I ever thought possible. I can’t just spend the morning fully engaged with my toddler while we play trains and trucks, because I have a newborn that needs to eat, be snuggled, and get frequent diaper changes. I often feel overwhelmed by everything going on and the ways life is pulling me in multiple directions all at once.

Although the newness of having two kids is a challenge, it’s also an opportunity to cling to God in a new way. I’ve known for a long time that I can’t do anything from my own strength, yet this season of life is reminding me just how true that is. I will never be the mom God has called me to be if I think I can do it without Him. When I depend on my own strength while my newborn is crying because he’s hungry, at the same time my toddler is crying because he can’t have chocolate for breakfast, I lose all self control and react poorly. In that moment, in my weakness, I shut down and give up. I give my toddler the chocolate, and feed the baby while I cry because life is hard. However, in that moment, when I depend on God’s strength, I can call upon the Holy Spirit, stand firm in my conviction to help my toddler eat a healthy breakfast no matter how much big his tantrum is, and feed the baby while I pray for God’s presence to saturate our home and fill me with self control, patience, and love.

Honestly, relying on God to provide me His strength is often harder for me than just giving up in my own strength, because it takes more patience and more trust, but it leaves me with more peace every single time. I think that every big life transition – whether it’s a new baby, a marriage, a move, a break up, a job change, a death – gives us an opportunity to cling to God for strength in a way we’ve never done before. We can choose to try to rely on our own strength, and often times that seems easier, because we don’t have to pray or read the Bible or ask God for wisdom before we act. Or, we can fall at the feet of Jesus and ask Him for help, even if that means taking a moment to invite Him in before we respond to a situation. The latter is always always ALWAYS the best option because God’s yolk is easy, His burden is light, and His strength will never run out, unlike ours. I’m beyond grateful that God has given me the challenge of being a new mom of two so that I can practice relying on Him more and more. I have to fight to get this right on the daily, and I will never be perfect at it. However God’s grace is meeting me where I am, and the Holy Spirit continues to guide me and convict me when I mess up.

I pray that you use whatever life change you’re experiencing now or in the future as an opportunity to give up control; That you will stop relying on your own strength, start relying on God’s strength, and see how much more beautiful and fruitful it is.