GOD's Whisper

"Be silent enough to hear GOD's whisper."

Just recently, I've been asked the magic question only veteran moms are supposed to answer: "How did you get through it?"

This was a question that I repeatedly asked my own mom during my first few thousand days of motherhood. I also asked this question to my cousin who was raising three boys, all under the age of 7 (at the time)… as a single parent!

I never really considered myself a veteran mom. I am just as clueless as anybody when it comes to parenting. But considering how my friends either just got married or just had their new babies, maybe I could be considered a sophomore, imparting the little knowledge that I have to the freshmen, on how to survive the infancy of their new roles as wife and/or mother.

My first immediate response was, of course, the Robert Frost cliche: "The best way out… is through it." Or sometimes, I would catch myself echoing my mom’s very wise words: "This too shall pass... so might as well enjoy every single minute of it while it lasts. Next thing you know, the kids are off to college and you'll wonder where all the years have gone. Enjoy every single moment, cherish every experience..."

Once I've gotten a chance to ponder the question, memories of 2 am feedings, endless diaper changes, and scary fevers came flooding back. Given the not-so-ideal circumstances that Edison and I faced at the time when we had Edward (and even Alison!), I still cannot believe how we handled it all: babies, work, school – all on top of keeping the romance in our marriage alive! In awe and disbelief, I asked myself the very same question: How did I get through it?

I wrote my good friend, who was one of those who asked me the magic question: I kinda just let the storm around me get really, really silent and looked within. I never truly realized that I had inner strength until I was thrown in the eye of the storm. I had to grow up – fast! – in order to survive for myself and for my growing family.

By letting the "storm around me get really, really silent," I meant that everyday, I had to carve out time for myself to reflect and let GOD speak to me. It made me appreciate the little ways that GOD would reveal Himself to me through: prayer, reading child development books and articles, reflection and writing in my journal, talking to other moms – especially my own mom – about their experiences. It wasn’t easy carving out "ME time," especially with an infant who cried every two hours. But even if you just get 15 minutes all to yourself, I think it would keep you sane and make you a better parent. It’s the same principle as putting the air mask on yourself first before putting it on your child, when the plane starts crashing. You cannot possibly take care of your family, unless you take care of yourself first! (I have read this advice over and over, and it just makes perfect sense…) So, I hope you remember to be silent enough to hear GOD's whisper when life gets a little too noisy.

Dear Lord, I praise and thank You for allowing me to experience Your glory even through life's most difficult challenges.