Have you ever had that one toy that just wouldn’t shut off?  The battery was too drained to even quit.

I have had baby swings that wouldn’t quit swinging.

I have had activity tables that wouldn’t stop singing.

Toy dogs that began babbling incoherently…and wouldn’t stop.

And poor Cinderella glowed and glowed and glowed for a couple of days.  Bless her heart.

These poor toys had batteries that were draining, but they just couldn’t quit.

Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever been so exhausted that you really can’t figure out how it is that you are still going?

Me too…every day.

To be perfectly honest, my battery does not get fully charged each night with sleep.  Someone is going to have trouble falling asleep, someone is going to have some sort of issue come up in the middle of the night that requires mommy to be awake, and you can bet your bottom dollar, someone is going to wake early in the morning.  I try to steal little seconds here and there to help recharge, but my efforts are futile…

 

Philippians 4:13New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

My mini recharges are what gets me through the day:

A little smile from my kids

A kiss from my husband

A little hug from either of the above will do

A “mommy, I love you.”

A deep belly-laugh from a toddler

A “you look beautiful today, honey.”

Sisters playing

Priceless art…produced from my children

A walk together with the family

Fall leaves

Rays of sunshine through the trees

Wildlife munching grass in the backyard

A cool breeze

Neck rubs

Fog on “our mountain”

The smell of rain

Sleeping eyes of my babies

The list goes on and on…

I don’t see EACH of these things EVERY day, but these and so many more blessings are sprinkled throughout my days.  They refuel, recharge, push me on.  These gifts don’t come from me.  They are gifted to me, always coming at just the precise moment when they are needed the most.  Perfect timing…God’s timing.  He knows what I need to get me through.

I wish I had a fancy dress and a sparkly glow.  I wish my draining sounded more like the activity desk’s songs and less like the babbling dog, but hey…when mommy is tired, you might just have to use your sister’s toothbrush.

This mommy gets gifted with little moments (charges) here and there, but the biggest recharge comes in the late evenings when I am about as tired as I can possibly be…

when I feel like I can’t go on for a second longer…

when the tiny recharges of the day are beginning to fade…

I read and I write.  I pull out the computer…let my thoughts, my words flow through the keyboard and onto the screen.  I feel lighter…

I reflect.  I read scripture and I can’t help but notice how all the moments, even the trying ones, during the day are blessings.  They are gifts.  Gifts that I can’t return and wouldn’t ever want to.

It’s during this late-night time of solitude, even if only a very brief period, I get the best recharge.

And it’s enough of a charge to help me drift off…