Unraveled

You’d think that because I’ve written a few books for parents and, oh, about a gazillion parenting articles and blogs, I’d have this mothering thing down. I’ve been a mom for a while, so that should help too. The truth is, at the time I’m writing this my kids are ages 24, 21, 19, 6, 3, and 3. And I’m weary. Weary.

I get a lot of responses when I tell people that I’m a mom of six children. And then when I tell their ages people really get confused. After raising our three oldest children almost to adulthood, God led John and me to adopt three more. We adopted Alyssa (one of the three-year-olds) at birth, and just last year we adopted Bella (six), and Casey (three) from the foster care system.

I thought it would be easier the second time around. I learned how to set priorities and to focus on what’s truly important while not trying to compare myself to others. After raising three kids—the feeding and fretting, bathing and battling, caring and correcting—you’d think I’d have this mom thing figured out. (Or at least that’s what I thought.) Wrong!

I do have a few more tricks up my sleeve, and I’ve taken a major chill pill (or maybe it’s just softening with age), but parenting is still hard. There are times I’m trying to bathe a cranky preschooler or discipline two children who are at each other’s throats, and I wonder, Why did I sign up for this again? There are moments when I hear “Mommy!” from the other room and I’d rather pull the covers over my head than get up and make a sausage biscuit. (I’m pretty sure my three-year-old boy eats sausage for breakfast every morning. “Sausage” was his first word!)

I get weary of power struggles, of putting my needs last, of trying to remember important things like making healthy meals, keeping electrical outlets plugged, and reading Bible stories in order to plant God’s Word in my kids’ hearts. And it’s not that I’ve stopped my mothering role with the bigger ones either. They need advice, clean laundry, and college essays previewed, but mostly they need a listening ear. They need someone to be outraged about their unrealistic Western Civilizations professor as much as they are. They need someone to ask, “What’s wrong?” when it’s obvious that something is. And as my oldest has become a parent himself, he needs advice on his parenting—which I only try to give when I’m asked!

Parenting is more work than I ever dreamed of. With kids on both ends of the spectrum I realize this afresh on a daily basis. Thankfully, I have God to turn to. He is my strength, my wisdom, and my hope. Thankfully, there are books like Unraveled that remind me I’m not alone; that point me in the right direction…  but mostly point me back to God.

Feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, unappreciated, and downright weary? Well, you’ve come to the right book. Brooke and Stacey are moms who are walking this road as well and who are here to stretch their invisible arms through these pages to offer you a hug of understanding…  and some pretty amazing advice too!

I know these women, and I know their hearts for moms. These pages have been bathed in prayer even as they’ve been filled with God’s Truth. Know that you, reader, have been prayed for. Know that you aren’t alone. Know that there is Someone who will be there for you during your weary moments. And be encouraged as Brooke and Stacey share their own journey to finding strength and peace from the One who loves them most—the One, Jesus, who loves you most too.

Walking the weary (but joyful) road with you,
—Tricia Goyer