2 Words Every Mom Needs to Hear and Say

It’s 5 o’clock. Your 2 year old is whining, the baby is crying and your husband isn’t home from work yet. You, super Mom (ha!) that you are, are trying to get dinner on the table, distract the toddler and soothe the baby, all while trying not to give into the frustration of realizing how much (again) didn’t get done today. Does any (or all) of this sound familiar?

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It’s familiar to me because this is my story. It’s why I’ve started telling myself two little words whenever these crazy moments of life arise.

Be still.

Be still. It’s one of my favorite Bible verses from Psalm 46:10a, “Be still and know that I am God.” I need this reminder daily. I try, far too often, to take control of situations that are better left in God’s hands. It was only recently that I realized I need to be still, in so many different aspects of my life.

I recently read the book “Hands Free Mama” by Rachel Macy Stafford and was very convicted by some of the things I read. Have you read it yet? If not, go read it! Soon.

The premise of being a Hands Free Mama is simple and powerful. We need to put aside technology and all the things that consume us to be present in our lives. As the author defines it, “Living Hands Free means making a conscious decision to temporarily push aside distractions and give your undivided attention to someone or something meaningful in your life.”

Isn’t that what we all want? I know I get caught up, all too often, in accomplishing things. I think it stems from the question, What did you do today? From the time we are small, we are asked what we are doing. I am learning that sometimes we need to be still and focus on being present in the moment.

As Rachel so wisely put it, “The choices I make matter. The choices I make are critical. The choices I make mean everything.”

There’s nothing wrong with being productive and accomplishing lots! Goodness knows I would be lost without my to-do list. We, Moms, are the managers of our house and it is our job to manage it well.

Without us , the laundry would sit, errands wouldn’t be run and meals would consist of mostly take-out. We can’t always physically be still, but I believe we need to be still more often than we currently are choosing to be.

“With the kitchen in disarray and a million things to do, I chose my daughter. Because I still can. Today my child stands before me wanting, needing, and hoping to be chosen. Tomorrow might be different.” When I read this statement by Rachel Stafford, my heart leaped.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. As sentimental as it makes me to think about it, we don’t know when we will say our last good-byes. We don’t realize how quickly our children grow up. While they  need our help today, tomorrow, they may already be too big for that. We never know when these lasts will come!

I’ll be honest. I struggle when my kids are playing quietly on their own with the desire to hurry and check a couple things off my to-do list. As I said before, that’s not always a bad thing. As Moms, we have to take advantage of those quiet moments to keep things running smoothly.

On the flip side, we need to make sure we are not too busy “accomplishing” things that we miss the irreplaceable life moments with our kids.

As Rachel said at the conclusion of Hands Free Mama, “I want to make memories, not to-do lists…I’m letting go of distraction, disconnection, and perfection to live a life that simply, so very simply, consists of what really matters.”

For me, this means to choose my moments wisely and practice being still.

When the kids are playing quietly and the dishes are calling, be still and watch.

When Nathan’s singing a song and my email is beckoning, be still and listen.

When Emma’s nursing and a book is waiting to be read, be still and enjoy.

With all the hustle and bustle of life that surrounds us from dawn to dusk, sometimes we just need to be still.

We need to be still so we can watch our kids play and listen to their songs and catch their smiles and savor the simple moments that make up our life.

Our wonderful, busy life is the only life we will be given. We need to live it well! To do so, I need to be still.

What do you think, fellow Moms? Will you be still with me? Or what two little words does your heart need to hear?