A Word From My Mother: When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned
If you have lived long enough you know that life doesn’t go as planned very often.
I have asked my mom Diane Rowland to be a guest blogger on my blog. She is an excellent writer with so much wisdom and knows exactly how to weave words together to create such lovely pictures. I hope to be half the writer she is!
She gives encouragement in her post below A Word From My Mother.. when life doesn’t go as planned as she describes several events she has experienced over the past 11 years and how God has given her peace through it all. I hope you are blessed by her words and go on over to her blog My Life As Diane to enjoy more of her writing!
Jenna Jury
A Word From My Mother…
When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned
So my daughter asked me to be a guest writer on her blog. I’m honored to do so because I love her blog. I love her writing. She loves my writing. We argue about who is the better writer, but because I’m the mother…
I win.
It’s her.
I thought since I will be writing on her blog I would start by telling you a bit about myself.
I’m a mess, most of the time.
You’d think after living all these years I’d have it together a bit more, some days I do. Most of the time I don’t. If you ask my kids I think I know it all. Which by the way we have five, three originals as they call themselves and the expansion pack – our two youngest girls that the Lord saw fit to bring into our family four years ago on a permanent basis. (Our two nieces, now our daughters).
John 14:27 NIV says
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
I had lived most of my life in a protected bubble.
Adopted and raised by strong old fashioned parents who believed in God and believed in good things.
I was not around worldly things much.
And I was taken to church.
I was taught the things of God.
And I was shielded from evil.
I was a rebellious teenager but once I was married and had children of my own we did the same things my parents did.
Took them to church, watched who they hung out with, what they saw on tv.
I was stricter than even my parents because I had been out there and now knew the world was not a loving place. I wanted my children to always feel safe and loved.
So I was feeling pretty good about myself and the path we were on, life was good, I was blessed. I loved my husband, my children, my parents and my life. dum dum Dummmm!
My Dad died. My first great love, my cheerleader, my superman.
I was grief stricken. For years (seriously not sure I’m ever going to be over it).
My mom had a stroke, paralyzed her right side, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t eat, couldn’t move. I brought her home after her hospital stay and took care of her. Every thing she needed for almost six years.
Two years after bringing Mom home – our first grandchild David was born early and lived six days.
The next year Jenna was on hospital bedrest for five weeks until B was born and then B spent 39 days in the NICU.
Three months after B was born my two nieces were brought to me, we took over legal guardianship for them, and my only brother, only sibling went to jail.
So here I was still grieving my dad, fresh grief over David, grieving my mother also though she was with me but not the same, trying to help heal two hurt children.
And crying over the ridiculous mistakes my only brother made. While watching my daughter and son in law hurt and nurture their new baby. Whoa.
Life doesn’t go as planned.
You know that poem “footprints” Jesus carried me through that time, he may have dragged me kicking and screaming through some days.
I wanted to give up, I wanted to just lie down in the sand and never get up again.
Then in May my appendix burst. Six days in the hospital.
Two weeks later my husband took me away to the beach and I was refreshed.
Jesus and vacation that’s how I get through.
When I make sure and take the time to pray I am encouraged. I heard a preacher say this weekend – David encouraged himself, encourage yourself. You can get through this. And You can make the right decisions. You can hear from God. I tell myself all the time how I’m going to be ok.
And I am. Some of these things I’ve been through, I didn’t have to. I didn’t have to take care of mom. I didn’t have to take care of my nieces. But I did. I had to. Those stories you can read on my blog. My life as Diane.
I pray this year is the year you’re encouraged too. You are loved and you’re going to be ok.
How do you cope when life doesn’t go as planned?
You know the saying when it rains it pours? Life feels like that sometimes doesn’t it? But even when life doesn’t go as planned we can rest easy in our Father’s hands, knowing he loves us.
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- Why Consistent Parenting Matters
- 12 Habits of Immensely Peaceful Moms
- 63 Mom Hacks That are Pure Genius
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