Day 13... Move at a Steady Pace

I am a girl.  Emotions can get in the way.  As a girl and a mom of two girls I know that life can get pretty chaotic if you try to walk through life and ride the emotional roller coaster.  If I allow emotions to control things I find myself unprepared and constantly changing.

This morning I am finding myself choosing this again.  Raising a daughter whose health is directly related to nutrition and body awareness is kind of tricky.  I have to listen attentively to what she says and respond so that she knows I understand and care but shows that we continue to move forward at an even pace.

When I do this well I find that we collect helpful information that makes decisions easier.

For example, it is fall in Texas....  allergies!  MANY mornings she wakes up and tells me, "ugh, I don't feel good!".  I smile, hug her and ask another question.  I also remind her of the facts we know.  I assure her that I hear her but that many of us wake up feeling the same way with a scratchy throat and the strong desire to crawl back into our cozy beds.

You see inside I am secretly wondering if I am about to change my plans for the day.  Believe me it wouldn't be the first time!  I also know that many days we watch attentively and everything keeps moving forward.

When she was little it felt like we lived in "crisis" mode ALL THE TIME and is was exhausting!  Of course understanding and experience have given us more confidence along the way.  I must admit that I do struggle with this struggle a lot even these days.

I have to fight the temptation to allow my feelings to control the situation.  I have also learned to listen to them too.  

The most important thing I find helpful is to keep going, one step at a time.  If a crisis is coming we won't get there any faster by jumping ahead.  If extra care, rest or treatment is needed we won't know what to do until we get to that step.

God has been very gracious by provided just what we need as we go.  I have to stop and look back to remind myself that He hasn't left us and in fact has paved a beautiful path for us to travel.

Life is often enough of a roller coaster to navigate.  Reminding us all to move forward one step at a time is really helpful to help me not add unnecessary obstacles to the trip.