It isn’t often that I write a post in reference to a previously reviewed book. Today, I will. This is for the moms out there…
I was re-reading Hope Unfolding by Becky Thompson recently when I came across something I had completely forgotten—something I believe so many moms need to hear. Becky managed to put into words what my heart has felt so many times.
So today, I want to share this powerful excerpt with you:
Ladies, there will come a day when your husband walks in the door and you do not turn around. You will be preoccupied with filling up sippy cups and wiping booties. You will shout over the running bath water, “Hey! Glad you’re home.” But it won’t be full of eager anticipation to spend time together. It will be full of expectation that he will aid in meeting the demands of the family. “Glad you’re home” will more properly translate as “Thank God for two extra hands to help me,” and “Praise the Lord I might get five minutes alone now.”
Ladies, there will come a day when you spend every last ounce of yourselves in your children. The demands of life and the babies will come before everything else. What little of yourself you had left at the end of the day will be used to crawl into bed before someone wakes up…and needs you again. The thought of doing anything else after the children are asleep will sound impossible, and your handsome husband’s happy smile had better mean he is willing to get up with the baby and nothing more.
The husband that once completed your heart will be just one more person who needs you. The charming things that you fell for will go unnoticed. The daily grind will become expected.
Men, there will come a time when that beautiful bride sitting next to you hasn’t showered in days. She will be at her wit’s end, wearing other people’s food and poop on her clothing. She will need to hear that she is beautiful, but she won’t listen to you. She will need to know that she is still lovable, but she won’t want you near her. When you arrive home after meeting the demands of work, you will be expected to meet the demands of your family. Your wife will hear none of the exhaustion, and you will see none of hers.
Men, you will call home to ask a quick question and anticipate a two-minute conversation. Half of it will be spent listening to your wife talk to your kids. As a matter of fact, you will make it no more than a few sentences in to any conversation ever before your wife blurts out directions to your children: “Don’t climb that!” or “Don’t sit on your sister!” You will become accustomed to these outbursts, but you will forget that there was ever a time when you had her full attention.
But, ladies, when Mommy becomes your name, remember this man. Remember that you are his wife. Remember how much you love and appreciate him in this moment. Remember his dedication to your family. Remember his love and devotion to you. And then, when the days are long and you need a break, fall into his arms.
Men, remember your bride. The care and love that she has given you will soon be poured into your children. Her love for you will not change. Give her the grace to be enough even when she doesn’t feel like it. Remember when your days are long, hers are too. Remember her. Fall in love with her again.
Remember each other. Remember the two that made the family. Let the Lord lead you both together. Because when the days are endless and the hours short, it will be only His love that keeps you together. It will only be His mercy that gently guides your hearts as one. Hold tightly to one another, and even more tightly to the Lord. There is no greater adventure for you to experience and no greater gift than to walk through parenthood with the best friend. You are a team. Every single day.
W.O.W.
Even though I’m now outside of that season—with no little ones left in the house—I can remember those feelings like they were yesterday. The exhaustion. The love. The quiet ache of wanting to still feel like a wife when all you have energy for is being “Mom.”
Reading this again reminded me that I wasn’t alone then—and you aren’t alone now. Every mom who’s walked through the foggy, sleep-deprived, grace-fueled days of early motherhood knows what it’s like to lose pieces of herself and still keep showing up.
If you’re a mom of littles—or if you know one—please take my advice and buy this book Hope Unfolding (affiliate link). I’ve gone back to it countless times over the years, and it continues to speak to my heart.
And if you’ve already listened to me and bought Hope Unfolding, trust me when I say: get the rest of her books! I have the full collection, and each one has been a steady source of encouragement throughout my motherhood journey.
Here’s a list for you to browse (affiliate links):
Midnight Mom Devotional: 365 Prayers to Put Your Momma Heart to Rest
God So Close: Experience a Life Awakened to His Spirit
Love Unending: Rediscovering Your Marriage in the Midst of Motherhood
Truth Unchanging: Hearing God Daily in the Midst of Motherhood
Peace: Hope and Healing for the Anxious Momma’s Heart
Because no matter what season of motherhood you’re in—whether you’re rocking babies, raising teens, or relearning yourself in the quiet house that follows—Becky’s words remind us that our story is still unfolding… and there’s always hope in the middle of it all.
Straight Outta My Mind 