Decisions. Decisions.

Decisions. Decisions. How many thousands of decisions do we have to make as moms? We want to make all the right ones. From small things like how much screen time is healthy (if any at all) for our kids to huge ones like how much freedom to give during their teen years. From easy ones like serving vegetables to difficult ones like whether or not we should make them eat them. From simple ones like what to send for lunch to highly complicated ones like whether they should get counseling for very troubling behavior. Constant decisions bombard us, many we are just not prepared for. Add some out-of-our-control factors in and boy-oh-boy, we're thrown for a loop or paralyzed like a deer caught in some high beams. So what are we moms to do? Where can we turn for help? I've been thinking and wondering and have a half-thought, if you will bear with me. (A half-thought is where I am landing right now in the answer to a particular question. It could change in the future, so I hold it very loosely.) Here we go! I can’t think of a single situation where WISDOM isn’t a very welcome companion when making all the thousands of choices that come our way, especially on our mom journeys. Wisdom doesn’t make decisions solely based on feelings or circumstances. As a mom, I tend to do that ALL.THE.TIME. I am consumed and overtaken by immediate circumstances and the feelings that go along with them so much so that they dictate my choices instead of inform them. Wisdom isn’t reactive and reckless. I'm not sure about you, but my kids stir the pot inside of me and what’s being held in check bubbles to the surface, where a normal, but unhealthy reaction comes blurting out. Wisdom also isn't black or white, write or wrong, yes or no. It's so much easier as a mom to have blanket one-size-fits-all rules, but is it good? Is it wise? Wisdom, on the other hand, is responsive and comes from a deep well of goodness, from God Himself. It is a gentle friend that guides us to make insightful, well-thought out, clear-headed, good decisions. It helps us to hold relationship as more valuable than rules and keeps us grounded, yet malleable in the complexity of the journey we are on. It feels calm and hopeful, exactly what we need in those fretful mom moments. No wonder we all wish we had more of it! Here's some good news. Scripture compassionately reminds us that God isn’t stingy with this gift He has inside Himself. He doesn’t shame us when we don’t avail ourselves of it the way we might. He is gentle with us, reminding us that He promises to give it to us when we just ASK. Simply ASK. We have loads of decisions ahead of us each day and on this never-ending mom journey. I would hazard a guess that choices on how to navigate this path will continue for our lifetimes. It sure doesn't seem to be slowing down for me anytime soon. I need WISDOM every single day in every single choice I make. But I have to keep reminding myself in this #notetoself: We have the source of all WISDOM just waiting for us to ASK for it! He wants it for us more than we even want it for ourselves! Because He has complete understanding of how GOOD it is for us, He can’t wait to generously LAVISH it on us! LAVISH (v.) - bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)