HSBC Coffeebreak

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Mother’s Day weekend wasn’t my finest. I seemed to be really struggling to demonstrate patience towards my children. For example, that Saturday I had decided to really do something outside the box and make chocolate chip pancakes for my children. I am a health food nut, so in my head I thought that this was definitely going to be a special breakfast. My children were going to LOVE it.

Nope. My oldest, who’s three, decided that she didn’t like the looks of the “black dots” in her pancakes. Her 20- month-old sister followed immediately. They both pushed their plates away and said, “Ew.” Having mentally built this breakfast up to be one of my greatest moments in “fun motherhood,” I was devastated. I cannot lie, I lost it.

“Eggs? You want eggs? You never want eggs when I make them. Why now? It’s chocolate for cryin’ out loud…what kind of little girl doesn’t eat chocolate? I can promise you, I will never make a special breakfast treat for you again. If you are just going to say, “Ew,” then I won’t even try!” (Just a sample of my rantings)

Without even going in to the specifics of the crazy things I said that morning, I immediately felt awful. As I scrubbed the breakfast dishes furiously, I realized that I had behaved selfishly and immaturely. Who was the parent here and how could God think that I was a competent mother? My children were suffering at the hands of a madwoman… who would save us now?

The following day, at church, we sang Chris Tomlin’s “Enough.” The chorus says, “All of You is more than enough for all of me/ for every thirst and every need/ You satisfy me with Your love/ And all I have in You is more than enough” Tears streamed down my face as the truth of those words sunk into me in a very real way. His grace is more than enough for my weaknesses. He is more than enough for all of me! I realized that on my own strength, I would never have more patience with my children, I would always struggle to be more flexible with them and to remain calm in intense moments.

Only God’s power, only God’s strength can change me. He made me with weaknesses so that He could change me…so that I would become dependent on Him to thrive in this life. He made me weak so that He could be strong.

I am grateful for God’s grace in a new way. I will never be a perfect mom. But I can be a mom who trusts that God is enough for my weaknesses. He can change me in a permanent way; I only have to bring my sins and struggles to His feet. There, He does not condemn me, rather He says, “Holly, I am bigger than those. Take my hand…let my love and my strength lead you to a better way. Please let me work in you.”

Written by
Holly Hauskins