(Joy) Momma Said There’d Be Days Like This… But the fruit of the Spirit is Joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is …  Joy

I am a Mommy!  Now what?? 

“All mothers are working mothers.”

~Author Unknown

Oh the joys of motherhood! (I just heard Himself and my mother laugh out loud!) Well, okay, it did grow on me.  Let me explain. I had been told for many years that I would not be able to have children due to radiation treatments and a tipped uterus to boot. So having a baby was just not in my mindset. Himself was previously married and had Mr. Countryfied a few years before we met. I love Mr. Countryfied as if my own. I figured that was going to be my little family of 3!

Fast-forward 12 weeks after wedding…. I am what??????

Joy swept my soul! Then panic. Wait. I cannot be pregnant. Do the test again. Same results. Oh my goodness. Now what?

I called Himself at work in a full blown panic attack, hyperventilating and everything. He was so happy it amazed me. When he came home he danced me around the living room. I was still in shock. “But they said I would never have a baby of my own.” Himself reminded me that ‘they’ were wrong, and that God was more mighty than ‘they.’  “But I am a career woman!” Himself said not to worry or panic and to enjoy the months ahead.  I had plenty of time to decide if I wanted to be a ‘working’ mom or a ‘stay at home working’ mom. I of course thought I would be the career mom. That is all I ever knew. My mom worked, my grandmothers worked. I would continue the tradition.

Fast-forward 7 months. In her 25^th week, Ms. Bunny decided she wanted to come out and play. Doctors said this was way too early. I was given the medicine terbutaline to stop the contractions. It worked! It altered my personality something awful! Himself said it was a good thing he had known me for awhile to know this ‘new’ person was not the real me. My little Ms. Bunny was born at 36.5 weeks. She was still a few weeks early. She was perfect! She was beautiful! She was…. My baby!!!  Now what do I do? My mother was out of town during the blessed event and in a panic I called her. “Mom, I have a baby! What do I do with a baby?” I heard her laugh from the other end of the phone. She told me she had the same experience and to give it a few hours or a few days and then we would talk when she arrived.

I was put back into the hospital when Ms. Bunny was only 4 days old due to some dire complications. I was too weak to even hold my darling Ms. Bunny. Himself would lay in my hospital bed with Ms. Bunny between us so that I could be close to her. A few days later after regaining some strength, mom and I were walking the halls of the hospital. Some sweet lady wanted to hold Ms. Bunny. I allowed her to. Then she held her a little too long, a little too tightly. I snatched Ms. Bunny out of her hands and marched us right back to my room!  My mom laughed again and said, “See, I told you that it would kick in!” That protective realm went up faster than you could say "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt!” Here I had been too ill for the hormones and things to start up. As I was healing they all rushed me at one time. That makes for one fierce momma!  And, one extremely thankful and joyful momma too.

Fast-forward 6 weeks. I gave my notice to my company that I would not be coming back to full time nor part time work. I was going to be a ‘stay at home’ working mom. I had no idea what that meant, but I was going to be one!

Seeing that I was so career oriented, by 8am, (Let me insert here so that you better understand. I was a Computer Operations Manager and I also scheduled computer time down to the nano-second. I was the guru of time management) I would have the house cleaned, baby bathed, changed and fed and played with and napping, dinner on and some craft made. Now what do I do? What do I do? Someone please help! Then I heard the still small voice in me rise up. Pray. Pray for his tiny creature that was entrusted to us. Pray for her future. Pray for this family. Pray for our community. Pray. So that is what I did. I prayed during Ms. Bunny’s naptimes. I kept prayer journals of my extended family. I wrote each person’s name down. I prayed over each and every person every day. I marked on the line as each of them accepted Jesus as their Savior. I wanted desperately for our whole family to know Him. And most have answered His knock. A few others I still pray for today. Can you imagine the JOY in heaven as each comes to know Jesus on a personal level? Joy unspeakable.

Fast-forward 19 months. We have now moved 2100 miles from home, into a land I did not know a friend. Mr. Rational makes his appearance into our little family! He truly is a miracle child. I am thankful for a Christian doctor who prayed and knew what to do during Mr. Rational’s birth. My man-child will live and proclaim the word of the Lord. Selah.

Fast-forward 14 months. Ms. Chatty arrives 6 weeks early, and after 40.5 hours of labor! And she has been constant motion and talking from that day on. I love her adventurous spirit, though it does terrify me at times too.

Yes, for those counting. That makes 3 children under the age of 3. Lord, help me! And he answers that prayer daily.

1 Peter 1:8

Common English Bible (CEB)

⁸ Although you’ve never seen him, you love him. Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words.

Prayer Time

Father, thank you for the gift of my children. Help me to continue to raise them according to Your Word. Help me to be a good listener, and an interceder for their lives. Work in me to purify my thoughts and motives so that only good comes out of my mouth. I know that no matter if I work outside the home or inside the home, I still want to be the mother that you want me to be. Help me to be tender to the people around me who judge my decisions based on political correctness. Help me to always return a kind word in season. Amen.

Copyright © 2015 Christine Osberghaus