Mom of twins

    What's it like to be a mom of twins with a toddler?  Today I wanted to share a humorous snapshot.  Before breakfast I was sitting in my chair in the nursery.  I was nursing one boy, bouncing one in a seat at my feet, pumping milk for later, and talking to my toddler who was next to me showing me her cheerios.  This particular scenario only lasted a few minutes.  Then the nursing boy was transferred to another bouncy seat at my feet while I finished pumping milk.  One might be tempted to say, "Look, super mom!" but I share this for the humor of it.  The truth of the matter is there are plenty of other mornings where I'm attempting to just feed one and the toddler is fussing and the other boy is crying and it's all I can do to just try to keep my head on straight.  In all these moments I realize God is providing.  He's providing the strength for each day.  His mercies truly are new every morning.  I'm so thankful for this steady supply.  My strength may run low (and frequently does) but His strength is there.  I am so thankful.  I have so many reasons to be thankful.  I'm thankful the boys were delivered safely.  Thank you God for bringing us through the first six weeks.  Thank you for the opportunities ahead as we start a new year.  

     When we prepared for the twins there were times when people said, "I can't imagine having twins."  I agreed.  I couldn't imagine it either.  Before we got married and even after when we were hoping to have a baby, it was never on my radar.  Twins don't "run in our family."  But now surprisingly it does.  Twins are not something you choose.  The two sets of twins we had were given by God.  He decided to give them.  It has been a journey.  I don't think I would have ever chosen this journey but I'm learning to embrace it.  I'm learning to trust God more day by day.  This lesson is on-going because there are plenty of days where I'm not a good student.  Instead of trusting God I try to "control" things and people.  I end up being impatient with my toddler or trying to "order my husband" to do something (rather rudely) instead of asking for help.  I wish I could just go out and do whatever I want instead of caring for children nearly around the clock.  Thankfully God is gracious and my husband is patient.

  I am starting to realize no matter what a person is "given" in this life, there are valuable lessons that we can learn.  As we embrace the mystery of God's will.  (When I say "mystery" I mean the things we don't know or understand.) When we trust God in the unknowns and day by day, we can find joy.  This is a discipline to choose to give thanks, to choose to surrender my will, to choose to trust God.  This "discipline" is also a work of God my heart.  He's working and helping me to give thanks, to surrender, and to trust.  And in this journey there is joy.  There is unexpected joys and blessings.  There's meetings with friends to look forward to.  There's an unexpected blessing of baby clothes friends just drop in our lap.  There's the baby smiles and cuddles.  But there's also a deep abiding peace and for this I am truly grateful.  God is so good.   

    Being a twin mom is a journey with humorous moments, learning to embrace and trust God, and finding His provision and joy day by day.  For those of you who are reading this, I'd love to hear what you're walking through currently and what you have been learning.  Life is a journey and it's better enjoyed when shared.  :-)