On Community
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Editor’s note
Welcome Back to the Momuscripts!
After a much-needed hiatus, which included adding babies to our brood and spending extra time with the ones we already had…we are excited to announce the re-launch of our Momuscripts series on the Vintage blog.
This series is written by moms, for moms (or anyone else interested in reading). We are passionate about encouraging each other through the hard times, laughing together at the funny times, and reminding ourselves that we need Jesus in all the times.
Be on the lookout for monthly posts in this blog series, and know that behind each post is a mom (biological mom, foster mom, mom-to-be, stepmom, single mom, adoptive mom or woman who plays the role of mom) who is cheering you on and praying for you.
Jesus, be glorified through our hearts. Mommas, be encouraged by our words. Amen.
On Community
When my daughter was born, I had no idea the amount of help I would need. She came unexpectedly early, and as a result, she spent 10 days in the NICU. I was a brand new mom, full of mixed emotions and oddly experiencing grief. I didn’t get skin-to-skin contact immediately after she was born, I couldn’t hold her for the first 24 hours of her life, and I couldn’t bring her home when I was discharged from the hospital.
I kept trying to grasp the reality that one moment my child was in my womb, and the next she was lying in an incubator in the NICU unit and my womb was left empty. My body, my mind, and my emotions felt like strangers to me.
I tried so hard to stay “strong” and hold my emotions together, especially when visitors were present. I felt helpless and foolish when the tears flowed so unexpectedly. I was all over the place mentally and my thoughts raced non-stop. I felt broken and was experiencing exhaustion. It was difficult to even identify what I needed when friends would ask how they could help. I was at an all-time low.
Then stepped in community.
In the midst of my crazy, people were there: keeping me sane, normalizing my thoughts and feelings, cooking us meals, completing chores around the house, shopping for us, and loving me well.
There’s no doubt every human needs community. Each one of us were made to be in relationships and without them we feel lost and empty, and we will search until we find something to fill the void. It wasn’t until the birth of my daughter that I realized how much I would need to rely on my community. Without the help of others, I’m sure I could have easily gone to a dark and isolating place. In order to receive help though, I had to make the hard choice to let others see me in a very vulnerable state. I had to let people in. And that was hard and humbling.
So what about you?
Are you walking through something that’s requiring you to choose between keeping your guard up and fighting vulnerability or letting your guard down to let safe people in? Satan wants us to believe we are strong enough to handle whatever life may hand us, but the truth is we’re not. We need one another, because we were never meant to go through life alone.
So let go of the fear of being perceived as weak. Let go of the lies that no one is trustworthy because someone in your life wasn’t there for you. Tell yourself to be brave and reach out to those who love you. I guarantee there are people God has placed in your circle who care deeply for you and are eager to help carry the heavy load placed on your shoulders.