As soon as you get that positive pregnancy test, it seems like people are coming out of the woodwork with advice. They offer tips on what you should eat while you are pregnant, what you should do to help your baby sleep, what the best methods are for achieving a natural birth. Everyone has their two cents about what you should name the baby, how you should introduce the baby to their siblings, and it’s like a pregnant belly is a giant invitation for advice-giving.
I certainly had my fair share of humorous advice that I merely laughed off, but there were some diamonds in the rough that I have taken to heart. These tidbits of wisdom have shaped my mothering, my kids, and our family. I truly am so thankful for all the heartfelt wisdom that has been passed down to me over the years.
My favorite nugget of wisdom came from a more experienced mom friend of mine. We were talking about how to maintain peacefulness in the home, and how to not get stressed out by the daily and perpetual needs of children.
Her simple advice?
Take time every night to reflect on the day, and ask for wisdom for the day ahead.
It sounds simplistic, but it is revolutionary.
For me, this little window of reflection time takes place after my husband and I put the kids to bed. The house is quiet, and I retreat to our bedroom. In the stillness, I am able to process the day that just happened: what went well, what didn’t go well, where I messed up, and what I would do differently next time. I can think back in thankfulness for the ways that I experienced God that day, and I can also confess and repent from any wrongdoing. It is in this tranquil place with the Lord that my heart can be at rest.
I also use this time to be thinking towards the day to come. What is on the horizon for the next day? Are there any issues with a certain child that need to be addressed? What do I need to be aware of? What ideas need to come to fruition? How can I better live out my values and ideals in the day to come? I can examine the day ahead and ask for wisdom to help me live out the callings on my life.
As a Christian, this is an important part of my day in abiding with the Lord, and it has changed the course of my days. This simple habit of stopping to reflect at the close of each day and asking for wisdom has propelled me forward in mothering and in tending the hearts of my children.
This simple advice has had a lasting impact not just on my mothering but on my life.
Do you practice a daily or weekly time of reflection? How do you achieve peacefulness and awareness of your days, and examine your own heart? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
