Finding Peace

Faith in the frazzled moments. How to find peace when life feels overwhelming.

We have all those days. The laundry is piled high, the kids are squabbling over math programs, you haven't pulled anything out of the freezer yet for dinner and it seems your to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer no matter how much stuff you have crossed off it.

I have been there! Deep in the trenches when you get a quick glimpse of yourself in the mirror and you see the frazzled, overwhelmed face staring back at you and you are ready to just throw in the towel. It has been in these exact moments that God has gently reminded me that I don't have to carry it all on my own and neither do you.

When life feels messy and loud and super over stimulating, peace is NOT found in checking off every task or silencing all the chaos. True peace is learning how to lean on Him and cling to His peace even when you are in the trenches of the most frazzled moments.

Pause and breathe in scripture

When absolutely everything feels urgent, the last thing we even think about is taking time to pause. But hears the thing, I have learned that taking even two minutes to breathe deeply and whisper a scripture changes the whole atmosphere of my heart.

One of my favorites is John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

God's peace is not dependent on a clean house or a perfectly organized homeschool day. It is a gift freely given to you in the middle of the mess.

Pray in the chaos, not just the quiet

When you are trying to clean up after lunch, kids are asking a million questions about their grammar lesson, you have no clue what dinner will be or what you have quick and not frozen, the dog has decided to throw up, and your youngest is screaming from the bathroom they are out of toilet paper....this is when you pray!

I used to think prayer had to be this long, quiet time with no distractions but the truth is, God meets us where we are. Take a deep breath while looking at the grammar and whisper a little prayer. As you are standing in front of the freezer talk to Him, invite Him into the real life noise of your day.

It does not have to be a huge lengthy prayer! Talk real talk. You would be surprised how far a simple "Lord help me in this moment" will get you.

Shift from "perfect" to "present"

Do you know where the majority of your frazzled feelings come from? I am about to get real so I hope you are ready to hear this. You are trying so hard to keep living up to absolutely impossible standards. It is not just you. More than half the moms and especially homeschool moms I talk to feel the pressure of being perfect. Social media has brought out these unreasonable expectations of mothers and homeschoolers. I am here to tell you the house doesn't have to be perfect. The lesson plan doesn't have to be flawless. Your worth is not tied to productivity.

Instead I want you to ask yourself, "how can I be present in this moment with my kids, my husband or the Lord?" Sometimes the most beautiful lessons are not in the curriculum, they are in the messy kitchen table conversations or the bedtime prayers whispered with tired little voices.

Remember friend, you are not alone.

If you find yourself frazzled today, please take heart. God is not asking you to do this life perfectly. He is asking you to lean on Him. In your weakest moments that is when His strength shines brightest.

So pause, pray and choose to be present over perfection. You are enough, right here, right now in all the frazzled moments.