The Invisible Load And The Sufficiency of God + June Affirmations (Audio)
Being Intentional About Not Carrying Burdens We Weren't Made To Carry
JUNE AFFIRMATIONS
Take a deep breath. Listen…and receive.
I hope this helps you. Let me know in the comments section if it did.
A friend of mine reposted a post about mothers and the invisible load that we carry. She also took a screenshot and shared a few comments from the comments section. One in particular stood out to me. The lady spoke about her inability to sleep till 3 or 4 am because she was overwhelmed thinking about so many things concerning her toddler. And by that time her baby would be up. So she was barely getting any sleep.
My heart went out to her and I empathised. The invisible load that mums carry is a real and heavy weight, especially when support is not easily or readily available. It’s wonderful how this generation gives language to things that we, especially as mothers, deal with. Words like ‘Matresence, Postpartum Rage, the Invisible Load’ have been making the rounds. We knew of these things, and most likely experienced them but didn’t have the language for them. And when you don’t have the language for something, how do you talk about it? How do you address it?
When I think of the sleep deprivation that comes with babyhood in motherhood, I cannot imagine adding the sleep deprivation that can come with carrying an invisible load. That mother must be exhausted. And she’s not the only one. Many mothers are.
In case you’re wondering, the invisible load is the mental load that comes from mentally working through all the lists, tasks and seemingly small, unnoticed actions and decisions that support and run a household physically, emotionally, financially and also…not talked about often enough, spiritually.
Blog.bonsecours.com defines the invisible load as “the invisible, yet exhaustive, cognitive and emotional labour involved in managing household tasks, family responsibilities and emotional well-being.”
Momwell.com refers to it as ‘the mental and emotional tasks involved in household labour. The planning, organising, decision-making, and ongoing managing of all the moving pieces that keep the household functioning.’
Thankfully more resources on how to share the invisible load are springing up in recent times and for that I am glad. It’s bringing to the forefront this work that is often unappreciated and undervalued. Before I go on, I would like to encourage the mothers who feel unseen, undervalued and unappreciated.
El-Roi means ‘The God who sees’.
The story of Hagar is a special reminder that nothing goes unnoticed by God.
In the story, He didn’t just see her, He saw her heartache, He heard her heart’s cry and made provision to meet Her need.
That’s the God we serve.
He sees it all new mama, and He won’t just see it and stay away, He will make provision to meet that need.
He doesn’t miss a beat.
Even if you feel like no one is cheering you on, He is.
You are seen, you are validated, you are loved, you are provided for.
Back to this post, I mentioned earlier. Another mother commented about weighing thoughts about whether her child was too hot or too cold while sleeping, if he would be ok in school the next day and so on.
It is normal as a mum or a parent, for that matter, to have these sorts of thoughts and intense concerns for your child. To mentally work through everything that concerns them. I also believe that letting these sorts of worries weigh you down to the point of losing a whole night’s sleep is the enemy(Satan) robbing you of your peace.
Having children, especially in this world we live in, is a breeding ground for anxiety and worry and this presents the perfect opportunity for the enemy to rob us of our peace, our joy and our security in Christ. Don’t give him that power. In dealing with the invisible load and worries of motherhood, especially in areas I have no control over, handing them over to God has been my saving grace.
“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” Psalm 55:22
God is All-Sufficient and more than capable of carrying those invisible burdens. If we’re being honest, we can only do much or go so far in caring for and protecting our children. We are finite beings. God is infinite. We also do not love our children more than God does.
My recommendation? Do your best, commit the rest that you have no control over to God and get some sleep Mama.
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7
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