... so it must be true. [smirk] Wish I knew to whom to attribute this quote/thought, but I saw it on Facebook sometime this week. "One of Satan's greatest weapons is mother fatigue." Did any of you post it or remember who did? Do you know who originally said it?
UPDATE: My friend Melissa Freeman resent me the quote. "Satan's greatest tool in the life of a mother is fatigue." Bertha Smith. I was pretty close to remembering. Thanks, Melissa!
I am living testimony to the truth of that statement. And yet, I am further testimony to "Our God is a Great Big God" and "In my weakness, He is Strong."
About 70 days ago, I committed to God to write every night on an Armor of God study He's call me to write. I almost didn't write last night because I was physically, mentally and emotionally beat. And I must have really irritated Satan because my computer crashed just about halfway though writing. But too bad, because God had some programmer at Google come up with auto save and restore functions, and all that effort wasn't lost. Then, I was just energized on adrenalin and angry at someone trying to mess with me, and I said:
Jesus is my Rock and my Fortress. There is no room for you here. Leave me and my family alone.
You see, my day started yesterday at 6:30 am with P2 (middle child, 6 yrs) coughing and asking for water and breakfast and when was I going to get up. When I answered, "A few more minutes," I could hear him whispering and peeked over the side of my bed to discover him and Sweet P (youngest child, 4 yrs) on the mat talking about when I would get up. I ended my day, starting at 8:00 pm with P2 in hysterics. He was so sick of being sick. It was day 5 of him having a fever and cough and generally feeling lousy. He could not contain his emotion any more, and he just wanted his momma. After getting him to calm down, we read books, sang lullabies and prayed. Then he wanted me to sit with him until he fell asleep. He never asks for that, so I knew he was just miserable. Unfortunately, it took him until 9:20pm to fall asleep.
Then at 9:45 pm, when it was time for P1 (oldest child, 11 yrs) to go to bed, he was in tears because his ear hurts. He has the same cold that P2 has, but for P1, it is snot and barking cough. I guess the snot was in his right ear, causing much pain. I gave him Mucinex, Advil, and put numbing drops in his ear. I also gave him a heat compress to put on his ear. When I finally got him in bed, he asked me to read because he hurt too bad to read himself. He went to sleep fairly quickly, within one chapter, but it just took so long to get him to settle down.
And I was fatigued, so I started not to write. But here I am. I made a promise to God. See, I did gear up that morning, put on my Armor of God. That's why I told P2 "a few more minutes." I can't get out of bed without reading Scripture and praying. I was reading in Mark about Jesus healing the sick, casting out demons, and rebuking the fake religious people of the time. Chapter 3 ends with, "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, my sister and my mother."
Know what? I am Christ's sister, adopted into the Family of God, and here I am, doing the will of God. I committed to writing because He called me to write, and He has been faithful, so faithful to give me the ability to write, the words to write, and a message He wants me to share. As tired as I was normally, I would have crashed out quickly, if not straight to sleep, at least to lying in a numb stupor watching reruns on Nick at Night.
Instead, with God's Joy as my strength I wrote, and now I write to encourage you, my sisters in Christ. I know at times, you are tired and fatigued. As women, we are generally busier in any given 24 hours that we thought possible. We are pulled in every direction for work, family, home-making, house-keeping, volunteer work, God's work. In your tiredness and fatigue, don't let your guard down and say things you shouldn't say, do things you shouldn't do or abandon the tasks God has called you to do. Don't let Satan use your fatigue to his advantage.
Instead, let God use it to His Glory. Call on Him and His power. He is all the strength you need. Give God all the glory for what He does through this tired, broken vessel. Ask God, and He will provide His very best, all you need and more. After all, you're His kid ... you're family.
Luke 11:10-13
Amplified Bible (AMP)
10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!
Family of God by William J. Gaither
I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God
I've been washed in the fountain
And cleansed by His blood
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod
For I'm a part of the family
The family of God
VERSE 1
You will notice we say brother and sister around here
It's because we're a family and these folks are so near
When one has a heartache we all share the tears
We rejoice in each victory in this family so dear
VERSE 2
From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King
No longer an outcast, a new song I can sing
From rags to riches, from the weak to the strong
I'm not worthy to be here but thank God I belong
CHORUS
I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God
I've been washed in the fountain
And cleansed by His blood
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod
For I'm a part of the family
The family of God
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