A Prayer to Receive God’s Grace
As I sat this week in a puddle of tears on the laundry room floor, I’d forgotten about grace.
The week had been long.
My daughter’s unique needs had flared causing her to regress quite a bit.
My husband had been out-of-town the whole week.
We had several doctor appointments for the myriad of health complications caused by living with toxic mold exposure. (another blog post someday)
I hadn’t slept well or enough.
The blog had techy issues.
And then, as we were running late for school and had only 5 minutes before we needed to get out the door, my middle son wanders through the kitchen STILL shirtless!
Apparently, he couldn’t find a uniform shirt. I scramble through the heap of clean but unfolded clothes. No shirt.
I dig through the dirty laundry. No shirt.
Friends, he has several uniform shirts, but none to be found. Likely in the dark recesses of his closet or some other unknown place they landed as he chucked them off with abandon. And obviously, they never made it to the laundry bin, much less the laundry room!
We look up at the oldest son. Yes, the sweet older son with the Godly character who not too long ago wrote a beautiful post right here on these pages! Yes, him.
He was wearing the middle son’s shirt! In case he was unaware of the chaos ensuing around the topic of brother’s shirt, we kindly point it out so he would quickly give it back to his brother and retrieve one of the many others from his own organized closet.
Nope.
Sweet older son was not so sweet.
He decided that today was the day he would be, Ummm … let’s just say “difficult”.
He determined he had found it in his clean laundry bin, had promptly hung it up in his closet, picked it out the night before, and was now wearing it. He also determined he would not be changing it.
I don’t know … maybe he thought brother would go to school shirtless?
I really tried staying calm at that point until my sweet son’s 14-year-old eyes rolled.
That was it.
Blubbering mess.
As in the ugly cry with all kinds of raised voices, too.
Recovery took a while so all three of my children were tardy to school.
No Mom-of-the-Year Awards that morning!
So, what is a Mama to do on those days when it all falls apart within the first hour of the day? Hold onto the guilt of a bad Mommin’ morning? Berate yourself for being the “worst Mom ever”? Or simply skip it altogether and forget it ever happened?
I don’t think any of those are good options and thankfully I had a beautiful community of precious women in my life who reminded me of that truth!
So, what is a Mama to do on those days when it all falls apart within the first hour of the day? #grace #prayer #badmomminday Share on XSo, today, can I be that reminder of hope for you?
When the moments are going downhill fast and the Mommin’ is getting rough, our best option is to simply stop mid-moment and collect our thoughts.
Step away. Turn our thoughts to Jesus and pray for Him to fill us with patience and wisdom.
I freaked because of the pressure of being late, but my freaking made us late anyway. At least if I would have stepped away and turned to Jesus, I may have still been late, but I’d have had a calming moment with Him which would have been much better for my health!
God’s Grace
But what about when we blow it because we forgot to step away and turn to Him?
Sweet Mama friends, still turn to Him! No … run to Him and run to His grace!
His grace says, “I know it didn’t go well and you didn’t handle that in a stellar manner, but you know what? I’ve got your back and I am going to fill those gaps! Your kids will be fine and they are going to know me more as you humbly admit your need for Me.”
Then when we accept His grace, we are able to shed the guilt and look at the situation as a learning experience. In it, we will grow. We will grow closer to Jesus and stronger in our parenting skills.
Today, friends, I wrote a prayer for when you are struggling to receive God’s grace. I used 2 of my favorite Bible verses about grace (Hebrews 4:16 and 2 Corinthians 12:8-9) to give you something tangible as a #MomentsofHope takeaway today. I pray this prayer ushers in a new season of receiving and relishing in God’s grace!
I made this into a PDF, too, and put it in the Library of Hope in case you want to print it! As part of the Searching for Moments Community, you get free access to that library. Haven’t joined yet? You can do that below this post or in the sidebar!
I love this story from my friend, Tasha at My Graceful Life. She has a houseful of littles and wrote a great post with tips for the Mama who cannot get her kiddo to sleep at night!
What to Do When Your Kid Won’t Sleep (from an Imperfect Mama Who is Definitely Not a Sleep Expert!)
Oh, goodness! I do remember those days and the sleep deprivation makes us forget to step away and turn to Jesus! It also conveniently helps us deny God’s grace from our lives. At this point, I’m not sure which is worse. Sweet boys gone rogue with eye-rolling in the teenage years or littles that will not sleep! Mamas, whatever the season, let’s unite! And friends, if you have those littles with sleepless nights, you need to read Tasha’s post for some fantastic ideas! And would you give her some sweet comment love to encourage her, as well?
And, just so you know …
I’m so glad you’re here. ♥
A prayer to embrace God's grace ... Come join us today for #prayer Share on X
I’ve been there, Lori, and it’s usually that little thing . . . the shirt, the spilled cup, the dumb dog. One last tiny straw and the whole world implodes. Thank you for sharing your deep need of a God who dispenses hope and fills all of our days (even the worst ones) with meaning because of His redemption of every last thing.
Praise God for His life-giving and life-filling hope! You are a blessing, Michele!
Even though I’m not a Mom, I can relate to this post in so many ways. Living single…more specifically, living alone comes with it’s own set of challenges. Everything falls on my shoulders. There are days when I’m doing my best to get out of the house on time and something spills, then I trip while running around to clean it up then I rush out the door and grab the elevator only to realize I left something important upstairs that I must get.
Your prayer about God’s grace in those moments is spot on.
You are so right, Yvonne! God’s grace is for all of us! We all have chaos that enters into our lives at different times. Struggles. Busyness. And absentmindedness. Sometimes they all come crashing together at the same time and, OH, do we need His grace to cover it all! Blessings, my friend, and have a wonderful week!
Lori- Many mornings end like this for me. Everyone is clawing at each other and treating each other in a way God would be shaking his head.
What the heck am I doing to create such a mess?
God has filled me up so many times, and I’m glad His resources never cease.
The prayer is an awesome addition to the post!
Thanks for hosting!
Julie
You are such a sweet blessing, Julie. We can pray, teach, instruct, discipline, talk, sing, and even dance how our kids “should” behave, but God wired them uniquely and sometimes we just have to step back and shake our heads right alongside God! lol! It’s easy as Mamas to think we are responsible for everything our children do. We are definitely responsible for a portion, but ultimately they are their own little people who do things they were never taught to do! But for God and His grace. Hallelujah!
Absolutely beautiful, Lori! Your prayer blessed me. There are so many reasons to run back to His grace everyday. And I’m thankful for the grace my children have given me in choosing to remember more of the good days than the not so good ones. His beautiful grace covers them too, praise God!! Blessings and big hugs!
Thank you so much for being one of those encouragers in my life, Deb! I do believe I got the phrase of running to grace from you 😉 I’m so thankful for His grace and I pray my kiddos will someday be filled with the same grace as yours have been!
I know I’ve had those same horrible starts to a morning when all of my boys were still living at home–especially the scenario where one brother was wearing the other brother’s shirt! ha! Why is it that clothes become a hill that our kids all want to die on? 😉 I am going to pray for you, Lori. I know that moment you bathed in grace (you go, girl!), but there are always more of those moments waiting. So you’re in my prayers today! And I love your challenge to all of us! Yes! We can turn to the Lord even in the most chaotic moments. It’s not easy. It’s hard to remember. But it’s oh so worth it! Thanks for the linkup, my friend!
You wouldn’t think clothes would be that hill for boys, right? I never knew!!! Ha! I treasure your prayers, Beth! Thank you!
Oh boy, I’m sure you can imagine how many days I need this, Lori. 🙂
I’m so thankful for God’s grace and for friends like you who remind me to pause and turn to Him in that moment of mom madness.
So glad I took the time to visit with you this morning because I sure missed your sweet encouragement, my friend.
I have missed you, too, my friend! I count you as one of those who remind me of truth and encourage me along the way! Love you!!
This prayer has blessed me so much this morning, Lori. I am keeled over on the couch from a bad pain day and needing His grace so much today. Thank you!
Oh, Lauren! I am so thankful this prayer ministered to you today! Big big BIG hugs, sweet friend!
My kids are all grown, but I remember days much like the one you described where it seemed everything was going wrong. If only I had remembered to go to God first every time…. But He is full of mercy and grace and forgiveness. He does bring peace even when circumstances don’t change. He brings hope!
Amen, Gayl! He is our hope-giver!!!
Lori, what a moment I could relate to….there were too many moments like that when my kids were still young and at home. God used my children as a great means of sanctification but boy was it hard. Loved your practical encouragement to stop and step away and seek His grace. How I wish I could have heard that 15 years ago! So glad you are sharing it with others still in the midst of parenting.
It’s funny how God does that. We think we are there to help our children grow into the best version of themselves possible (which we are), but we don’t necessarily think about how they are also helping us grow into our best selves, too! Thanks, Gretchen!
Oh, I remember days like that! So difficult. The good news is that you have fewer days like that when your kids are out of the house. 🙂 But the bad news is that the stuff you do have to deal with can get more serious (like who they’re engaged to or if they’re spending their money wisely). So, yes, GRACE! Always grace. Wherever we are, whatever we’re going through, God’s grace I need. Thanks for sharing this, Lori.
Praise God for His grace! Goodness … and those years will be here before I know it!
Oh, sweet Lori, we’ve all had those mornings! They seem to just be part of life!
You are an amazing mom and wife! You are doing a wonderful job!
Keep on keeping on!
Thanks for being a blessing to my life~
Thank you, Melanie, for being one of those incredible encouragers in my life! I’m so thankful for you!
Thank you for such a beautiful prayer, Lori! I sure do need it! Particularly on a Monday morning when Math is taking three times as long as it should and I am trying (not very successfully) to remain patient. Thanks for the beautiful and honest reminder to turn to God to redeem my failed moments and to pour out His grace and strength in each moment of my life.
I’m so glad these words and this prayer were timely for you and encouraged you, Carlie! Thanks so much for visiting today! I’ve missed you over the busy summer months!!!
I’m so sorry for your difficult week! I think we’ve all been in your shoes–in the middle of messy family situations and ready to break with the weight of it all. I appreciate you pointing us all to God’s grace. I sure need it right now as I am having a flare up of back problems that are making it difficult to even think straight. I am grateful for God’s grace when we are at the end of ourselves. You are a blessing as always my friend!
Thanks for the transparent vulnerability you share here, Lori. I think we all get that we can feel undone more often than we wish and blow it more than a few times a week or even a day, but one thing we often hesitate to do is share that with others. It is so helpful when we do because it helps any one of us feel less alone and more as though we have others to walk through something with us. It encourages each one of us to be more transparent and gain support and encouragement for the journey. Blessings on your day!
You offer so much hope here to moms, Lori. Actually to anyone who feels like they have messed up. Thank you for being so honest. My kids are all grown up now, but the part about grace and not holding onto shame or condemnation is such a great reminder for me. Even after so many years, I still fall into that trap. So often I wish I had handled some situations better. If only… So thank you for this reminder of God’s abundant grace over past, present, and future. Blessings and hugs to you!
Hi Lori! This is my first time linking up on your blog. I love the concept! Now following you on social media, too.
We all have those days where we forget about grace. Forget to extend it to others and to ourselves. The other day I had one of those days, and strangely it involved my son and his clothes as well. {What IS IT with these boys and their clothes?!}
I discovered the 3rd {3rd!!} pair of shorts that he has literally butchered to death with scissors. While wearing them, at school. And a t-shirt that he decided to poke holes in with a pen. At school.
I. Lost. It.
I just sat in the middle of the living room floor and cried. I’m a single mom, and these things cost me money and time. Money and time that I do not have. I told him how disrespected I feel when he destroys the things I buy him, the sacrifices I make so that he can have what he needs. I didn’t scream, I didn’t yell. I just cried.
He felt bad, gave me a hug and apologized. I felt bad that my 8 year old has to be concerned about Mom’s sanity over 3 pairs of shorts and a t-shirt. Oy.
Oh Lori, you know I laughed because while I knew we both had rough mornings last week, mine sounded the same. I can’t stand running late to school because the kids haven’t been responsible to get their own little selves ready. Not gonna lie, they may have been prisoners to my rant in the van on the way to school that day. So thank you for leading me to God’s grace. His love truly motivates the changes I need to make and His forgiveness overwhelms me.
Oh girl, I can so relate! We all can! Thank you for your GRACE, vulnerability and encouragement this AM! Love you!
Thank you for this encouraging post! I am not a mom yet, but I can relate to days when everything seems to be falling apart. I put a lotof pressure on myself to meet my responsibilities, and I have to remind myself that the world will keep spinning even if I am late every now and then. I often snap in these moments that are beyond my control instead of trusting that God is in control and running to Him. He has always been faithful to provide in those situations though.
Oh girl, this sounds similar to a day or two this past week here at our house. And I had to hightail it out to the hammock, patio…wherever I land, and talk to Jesus. Thanks for this message. I am going to check out the #sleepissue link too haha!!! God bless and thanks for hosting.
Oh Lori, this is so good and beautiful and hard and yes, so full of Grace! I’m an empty nester now, and even when my nest was ‘full’ it only held one daughter. But the stress of being late, and the laundry and not being able to find ‘anything’ to wear… oh yes… this brought me right back to those mornings! The ones when the drop off ride was thick with silence when normally prayers would have filled the car for a great day and favor and all of that. Yeah – we all have Mom moments when we have blown it… and often times it’s those mornings, after we have calmed down and turned to him, that we need to remember to give Grace to ourselves as much as to our (not so) Littles, too!
This is something that has been such a blessing and so astounding as I follow and read the experience of my sisters in Christ; mommies are AMAZING because I see you run back to the cross, soak in God’s grace, worship, and share the good, the bad, and the WONDERFUL about constantly depending on and abiding in Christ.
What an encouraging link up! I am so glad I came across this, and I definitely needed to hear about grace today. Just this morning I lost my temper with the kids and immediately regretted it. Thank you for this!
Great post! Fun to find a new linkup too. I didn’t realize you hosted this linkup. Grace is such a beautiful gift. Last October, my Write 31 Days series was “31 Stories of God’s Grace.” Blessed to be your neighbor at Coffee for your Heart this week.
Such an encouragement. Thanks for your honesty and sharing your story. It is so amazing that we have access to the throne of grace at all times, even when we are falling apart, and that God is always there to guide and grow us. It’s an unfathomable love, that’s for sure!
Lori, I love this and will be sharing it from my FB page and other social. I’m writing a series about grace, too. I love it when the Lord inspires us in similar directions. I have seen several posts about grace this week. His grace is so vast and immeasurable! That give us all the more to receive and to share! You inspire me, Lori! Blessings!
His grace is certainly immeasurable, all-sufficient. Thank you for your encouragement today, Leslie! I’m looking forward to what you have to say about grace!
Hello Lori, you are looking the beautiful & unique personality, I appreciate your wisdom and courage to bless and encourage others.
I would love to share it. Thanks…Have great luck forever!