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Seek Peace & Pursue It

One day I was changing a dirty diaper and the thought entered my head, "I bet I could count on one hand the amount of dirty diapers my husband has changed.


Mind you, we've been married 9 years, have 4 kids, and our oldest is 7. There have been plenty of opportunities for diapers to be changed."





Just as soon as the thought hit my brain, the voices of many other mamas came rolling in. The one's in the moms groups on facebook. The ones who are posting, complaining about their husbands, looking for someone to justify their unhappiness.


Judgement free zone here, because mama, I've been there. I was struck in the chest one day when a person said to me, "I don't personally know your husband. But from the way you talk I don't think I want to." *knife in chest*


You see it didn't matter that in the middle of that season of life my husband and I were having our own issues. It didn't matter how unhappy I was with whatever I was unhappy with.


What mattered was Proverbs 31:11-12, 23.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.


Conviction fell on me hard that day. Not because I was not justified in my thoughts and words, but because living an Empowered life, following Jesus, was never about justification.


This life, this journey, is about grace and gratitude.

I was not on a path to emotional freedom that day, all those years ago. But I was when I was standing there changing a dirty diaper. I had a choice to make.


Keep thinking about what he doesn't do, or think about what he does.


Just as quickly as the first thought hit my mind, here come several others...

  • He fixes breakfast everyday.

  • He wakes with the kids.

  • He takes them to EVERY practice.

  • He makes sure to cook as much of the meat as he can so I don't have to touch it.

  • He helps to pick up.

  • He vacuums.

  • He takes care of the yard.

  • He goes to work to provide for our home.

  • He lead us on a faith journey that has increased so much.

  • He is so funny.

  • He always makes me laugh.

  • He loves playing with the kids, showing them how to get better.

  • He also lets them win sometimes.

  • He fixes me coffee every morning.

  • Most of the time he has my cup fixed before my feet hit the floor.

  • He is thoughtful.

  • He is so considerate.

  • He always looks for a way to give what we have to serve someone who doesn't.

Y'all the list goes on and on. The fact that in just 3-4 years there was such a mighty change in our relationship attests to the work of God!


This journey to emotional freedom in Christ is so amazing! What you don't even realize until you look back is that while you are on your own journey, God is most likely doing something in the hearts of your family too.





A wise counselor once told me that if I will seek peace and pursue it, my family will have to as well. I didn't understand how. I didn't know if I would really be able to find what I was looking for. I didn't know if I wanted to change. Did that mean that I lowered my standards, that I started to accept behaviors I didn't approve of?... so many questions.

The truth is, I didn't need to know the answers. I just needed to start. As I walked this journey I trusted God and was open to learning whatever it was that was in front of me.

I would love to link arms with you, and teach you the Happy Mom Hacks that God has taught me! Are you ready to see results that you haven't even dreamed of?



To Your Empowered Motherhood!

- Brenna Stanford


 
 
 

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