Mom Guilt
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫.
But…here we are. It is my baby’s first birthday and I am smothering in Mom guilt. I’m not just using the word “smothering” because it sounds good. No. My chest was so tight today I could barely breathe. Shame is real. It pierces sharp and deep. It paralyzed me today.
It made me think of all the people that LIVE in this feeling DAILY. From mistakes in their past, from messages parents spoke over them, from alcoholism, not being a size 2, abuse. You name it, there are people that are flooded with the way I felt today 24/7.
And what does society do? What do those closest to them do? What do people who think they’re being “helpful” do? They layer it on. They layer it on by pointing out the obvious. Y’all - we KNOW. We know more than anyone!
Rick Harper is the campus minister at Georgia Tech and the Holy Spirit pours from him when he preaches. Rick says we can be balcony people or we can be basement people. We can cheer people to their finish line with encouragement and love or we can pull them down deeper into the basement.
From posting ugly political things, to heartless comments about covid, and even one another— we’ve got enough basement people in our society. They’re everywhere. 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.
Cheer people on when they’re at their lowest. When everyone else is talking behind their back, be the one to build them up. Instead of pushing people away when they mess up, draw them near. 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. Because you, your actions, your words…they may be the only Jesus people ever know.
Huge shout out to my neighbor, @lindseynicole27 for hearing my shrills, pulling us in her home, and being a balcony person for me.🤍 I will always and forever remember how much you looked like Jesus to me today.
