Faith vs. Fear

It's been a long week.  Who am I kidding...it's always a long week.  Being a mom is HARD.  I feel like I've run a mental marathon at the end of each day.  I still haven't grasped how to respond patiently to the children when they talk to me simultaneously.  Most times, I just don't say anything, fearful that if I do, all of the frustration will come spilling out.  That being said, this is what I've always wanted.  I will never regret parenthood and everything it has taught me.

I think what made this week feel harder was that I read too many alarming news articles and not enough of God's word.  That's never a good thing for me.

So tonight, as I washed my 500th dish of the week and heard four dirty bathrooms calling my name, I felt discouraged.

But then, a beautiful little memory popped into my head (a tender mercy of the Lord, I'm certain).  Thursday morning at 5:30, I went outside to put some trash in the garbage can.  Down the street, one of my neighbors was leaving for work.  The only thing I know about my neighbor is that he is a man of little words, he has interesting piercings, he decorates his house for Halloween with terrifying creatures (i.e. bloodied zombie babies hanging in cages) and he drives a Harley.  A very loud Harley.  So, naturally I didn't expect he would bring a smile to my face.  As he pulled out of his driveway, instead of accelerating his Harley, he slowly crept down the street in first gear so as not to wake the sleeping children.  There could NOT be a sweeter gesture!  I was so delighted, I almost ran out in the street and bear hugged that man.  I'm glad I didn't.  Had I, his assumption that I'm a delirious mother of six children may have been confirmed.

So once again, I'm reminded that good does prevail and faith in Christ will always win over fear or discouragement.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7)