Mommy on a Missions Trip

I realize that the title of this is confusing, seeing as I'm not actually going on a missions trip, but let me explain (while you enjoy the outtake pictures of our apple orchard visit).

I spent 2 summers on missions trips in the jungle of Venezuela.  These were incredibly influential experiences in my life, to say the least.

One of the huge takeaways for me was praying.  We prayed together about every little thing. This carried through to a lot of different areas in my life and to a lot of different times in my life.

But, lately, when I get frazzled or overwhelmed, any thought of prayer or reliance on God or life in Christ seriously just flies right out of my head and heart.

I try to figure things out on my own and lean on my own understanding.

That doesn't end real well.

Needless to say, being the mom of 3 talkative and dramatic daughters can result in times of frazzle-ment and overwhelmed-hood.

Take, for example, the time that I was grocery shopping with Leah, Maggie, Gracie and Steph and Bri.  

The minivan had a flat tire.  

A really flat tire.

I could literally hear the air escaping from the tire.

I could hear the bolt that was in the tire smacking the road as I drove a block to a gas station with an air pump.

I called Aaron...slightly frantic.  We got the flat tire at our last stop, and Steph and Bri were managing the girls, while I changed my mind about what to do about a thousand times.

So, there was no real reason to be as frantic as I felt.  We weren't on a time crunch.  I didn't even have to respond to the avalanche of questions coming from the girls, as Steph and Bri were on that.

What would I have done if this happened on a missions trip?

I would have prayed.  I would have looked to see what God wanted to teach me.  I would have even found a way to have fun in the midst of it.

I need to have a missions trip perspective in my regular mommy life.

Take the meltdown the girls and I had on our way home from the orchard.  

It wasn't really anything different that made us all meltdown.  They were tired and sick of being in the car.  I was irritated by some disobedience and bickering.

But, instead of praying, I lectured them and made them feel guilty.

Ugh.

If I would have been on a missions trip or working at camp, I would have prayed for wisdom. I would have distracted them with a song or just considered how they were feeling for one second.

A perspective change isn't necessarily dramatic.

But, it's oh so hard....shifting my reliance from myself to the most reliable Jesus.

...taking my eyes from my circumstances and fixing them on Christ.

...resting my mind in prayer instead of figuring things out on my own.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Is it weird that I'm going to be praying that I'll remember to pray more?

Because I am :)