Pamela shared the following devotional with us at our last meeting and has some really helpful and practical advice for taking of ourselves and embracing rest...
Good
morning! I’m Pamela. I have two
children, Abby, 4 and Benjamin, 2. I am also
a part-time nurse at Anmed. In my job I assess my patients so that the
anesthesiologist can decide if the patient is a good candidate for the proposed
surgery. I listen to their stories, and
look at their numbers, and by the end of my interview I have a clear picture of
their health. I see many people who have
not taken very good care of themselves through the years.
A little bit
about my personal story:
I know there
are ways that I can do a better job of taking care of myself: I need to
exercise more, consume less sugar, eat more veggies, drink more water, etc, but
I have come a long way in the last few years.
After having both of my babies, I suffered from extreme anxiety and postpartum
depression, to the point that I became unable to care for my babies. The mental health counselors recommended
inpatient treatment, so I was hospitalized after having both of my babies. I had to rely completely on my family to take
care of my children. So I unfortunately
know from experience what can happen when I do not get enough sleep and take
care of myself first, before caring for others.
The best analogy I can think of is, “you must put the oxygen mask on
yourself first, before you can be any good to anyone else.” And also, this week, I saw
a picture on facebook stating: “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” This is so true.
As moms of
young children, who depend on us for everything, we must take care of
ourselves, in order to be any good to our children, our husbands, or anyone
else. We must find ways to rest, each
day, each week. Even God shows us the
need for rest, when he created the universe, and then rested on the 7th
day. Do we as moms find enough hours
through the week to simply rest? Absolutely not. Because the demands on us as mothers of young
children are so high right now. But we
must listen to our bodies, and when we are sick and/or tired, we must ask God
for His strength. We should stop what we
are doing, and just sit down on the sofa between the toys, and the laundry, and
just be. Do whatever helps you rest: praying,
yoga, journaling, reading, even watching TV. One day this week I was really tired
around 2 pm and I just laid down on the floor in my son’s room for 30 min, not
asleep because my kids don’t nap anymore, but at least I rested. We must do this from time to time.
So What does
the Bible say?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
And his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
And increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
And young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the Lord
Will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not be faint.
And in Matthew
11:28, Jesus said,
"Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light."
We must not
operate on our own strength, but ask for God’s strength to fill us, and ask for
him to take away our heavy burdens. And we must take care of ourselves.
As a nurse
and mom, I encourage you to do those things that we often put off:
- See your
OB/GYN for a yearly pap smear and breast exam.
- Know your
numbers: your BP, cholesterol, BMI
- If you have
been dealing with something that you know is not right, see your doctor, and
don’t delay.
- Modify your
diet, get more exercise, and aim for 8 hrs of sleep at night.
- If you are
having trouble with your mood, anxiety, or depression see a doctor right away.
Don’t live day after day, month after month with it. This is Satan stealing
your time and you can’t get that precious time back.
- And if you
are already too busy, learn to say No to people, and consider giving up
something that takes up too much time or energy right now. (Look for Lysa Terkheurst’s book The Best
Yes for help with saying No.)
There are so
many little things we can do to ensure that we are able to be the best moms we
can be. Embrace Rest. Don’t pour from an empty cup.
