Long story short, she wanted pancakes for breakfast, but since mommy wasn’t downstairs yet, she grabbed hamburger buns from the pantry and “added syrup,” and by add syrup, I mean added syrup all over the living room carpet, couch, coffee table, and quilt. It was EVERYWHERE! 🤦♀️
Talk about traumatic! I literally scooped up both girls, headed for the minivan and drove straight to the grocery store. I needed a minute. I needed a chance to remove myself from what seemed like an impossible task. I needed to find the right tools to attack the problem. I needed forward motion to keep myself from breaking down. I needed a Chickfila chicken biscuit.
I found out that a little Coke-A-Cola is suitable for both the soul and taking stains out of sticky carpet. That’s right, Coke. I poured it everywhere, and then I drank what was left.
Eventually, all the syrup came out, but I’ll never forget the feeling of being livid and utterly defeated at the same time. I know I’m not the only one who’s ever felt like that, right?
I always laugh when I hear some well-meaning Christian say “too blessed to be stressed.” I know what they mean. I have Jesus, so the trivial things in life shouldn’t stress me out.
Sure, I guess. But most days, that mantra does not ring true for me! Yes, I do have Jesus, but I also have PMS, I have hormones, I have to change poopy diapers, cook dinner, pack the kid’s lunch, pull a toy car out of the bathtub drain, and shave my legs!
The reality is, I’m blessed, and I’m stressed, and both things can be true.
Almost everything I complain about is something I used to pray about. All those diapers are for the wonderful children God gave me. The house I try to keep clean is a blessing that I begged for when I lived in our first tiny house in the ghetto. I am crazy blessed. God has been so good to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not stressed.
I’m stressed because I care. I’m stressed because I’m driven and ambitious, because I sincerely want to be a good steward of what God has given me, but most of the time, I feel like I’m failing.
Do I make a big deal out of things that don’t matter? Absolutely! But most of the blessings in my life add stress to my life, and that’s ok too!
Should you always feel exhausted? No. Should you always feel like you’re drowning? Of course not. But don’t buy into this idea that there is a level of organization, productivity, efficiency, and planning that will eliminate all stress from your life. You’re blessed and stressed, and that’s ok.
This is your friendly reminder from your friend who knows how you feel. Don’t allow feeling stressed to make you feel as if you’re lacking an essential skill set other women have. You’re not. You probably just need a chicken biscuit, a sip of coke, and a reminder that you’re blessed AND you get to be stressed sometimes.
