Best visit EVER! Mom was so happy. We went on a walk, we had a great talk, and she happily went with the nurse when it was time for bed. So grateful.
I'm still on a high from that visit.
My mom was calm and cheerful most of the time--even though she wasn't quite sure what was happening or where she was. (We passed her room as I was pushing her wheelchair down the hall, and when she saw "Z. Wilson" on the name plate, she laughed at how similar that was to her own name--Zoe Wilson--and said, "Isn't that funny?")
Since I'm recording my favorite moments here on this blog, I want to tell you about a conversation we had on our walk.
Mom was in a pleasant state of mind, and I could feel that she was "there"--enough that I could share some of my deepest concerns with her and get some great advice. In the past couple of years, there have been so many times I've been in a quandary, and I've wished I could just call my mom and ask her what to do.
Most of the time I can't, so when moments like this one pop up, I just start pouring out my heart as quickly as I can.
One of the things that is weighing heavily on my mind is how to best take care of my website (Power of Moms).
We are trying to coordinate our upcoming retreats right now, we're shifting our editorial calendar and communicating our vision with the more than 400 authors on our monthly call-out list, and we're in the middle of publishing two books, building additional online programs, producing our podcasts and radio show, and working on dozens of exciting projects.
Organizing these projects and tasks is something I enjoy, and I do my best to keep everything straight, but even with an amazing co-director and a fantastic board of more than 45 other moms, this is a really big job.
And throughout this process, I want to be a great wife to Eric and a devoted, fun, deliberate mother to Alia, Grace, Ethan, and Spencer.
So I asked my mom what I should do when I feel like I'm not running my website as well as I think it should be run--because family life comes first, and it's often unpredictable, and I simply can't do everything I wish I could do.
She listened to all my concerns, and then she said, "April, the Lord doesn't measure your success based on your website. He measures your success based on how much you love Him."
Her words pierced my heart, and I immediately knew they were true. There was nothing left to say.
I keep thinking about that advice, and yesterday, I went for a run on the beach by my parents' house:
I sat for awhile at the end of the peninsula, reading a few scriptures from my phone, praying hard, and asking the Lord to help me to love Him more fully.
The responsibility still feels very heavy, but I've decided that I'm not going to try to "do it all."
When I love God, and when I live the way He wants me to live, He speaks to me and shows me what to do.
That's not stressful at all.
I think I can do this. (Well, I know I can do this . . . with His help.)
Thanks Mom.
Much love,
April
April, you are doing a wonderful job at Power of Moms. I know that personally as a board member. And your mom is right. What beautiful words of wisdom!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your support, Sarah. You are amazing, and I just feel so grateful to get to work with you.
ReplyDeleteApril even if nothing else happened with Power of Moms, you have been wildly successful and influenced thousands of families for the better! I'm grateful for the influence it has had on me and my family.
ReplyDeleteYou're so sweet, Cheryl. Thank you. I'm grateful for all we've been able to do with Power of Moms, and that does comfort me. Sometimes my vision and goals seem so big, and I don't know how to achieve them, but I do feel exceedingly grateful for the wonderful women I've been able to meet through this organization. Love you!
DeleteWhat a beautiful statement from your mom. It brought tears to me. That is a universal, time-transcending principle. We can replace "website" with so many of life's demands that overwhelm us and what comfort we find to again put into perspective what is required of us and that we are not alone in accomplishing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brooke. You're so right. This same idea applies to so many other parts of our lives, as well. Success also isn't measured by my kitchen or my curtains or how organized the art cupboard is . . . or by what size my jeans are or if my children can play the piano as well as I wish they could. Oh, the list goes on! Thanks for the reminder!
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